Their Own Private Battles
by Silvan Arrow
Summary: Long-awaited sequel to As Different as the Seasons. Following the international breakdown of BIOVOLT, the Blitzkrieg Boys and the Temporal Knights find themselves tackling the newfound challenges of long-distance relationships, the importance of family, and discovering that the most important battles are the ones waged in the heart. TalaOC, KaiOC, BryanOC, SpencerOC.
1. Chapter 1: Seasons of Change

**Author's Note:** Wow, I can't believe I'm back! I'm not sure how many people will remember me, but the last time I published a story was back in 2009. How times change. Since that time, I've had some pretty major life changes, including graduating college and graduate school, marrying the love of my life, and celebrating our first wedding anniversary. Now I teach biology at a community college and fill in the gaps with freelance writing.

Writing is what brought me to this site and is also the reason I'm coming back. I've been freelancing in the grant writing and advertising sector for a portion of my income for a couple of years now, and I've reached a point where I've almost forgotten how it feels to write for pure enjoyment. So I'm returning to my roots, so to speak, and re-booting a project I had intended to write years ago. I have always loved writing within the Beyblade universe, and this is the sequel to my most successful story, As Different as the Seasons. My writing style has matured greatly since concluding that story, so I've increased the rating here for safety. It will contain more mature themes but no language or explicit sex scenes. I prefer the fade-to-black, implied intimacy to give the readers free reign for their imagination.

If you enjoyed As Different as the Seasons, I hope some of you are still on this site and that this story meets your expectations. If you are new to my writing, I encourage you to read that story first before tackling this one so you can meet my colorful cast of characters and enter their world first. Without further ado, please enjoy this extra-long introductory chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. I just own my OCs and the plot of this story.

Chapter 1: Seasons of Change

There's a difference between being alive and living.

The only requirement for being alive is to have a beating heart. A person in a coma is alive, but he is not living. He merely exists, waiting for the day when his heart gives its final beat and his lips breathe their final gasp. On the other hand, it takes a special kind of person to truly live. Living means facing each new day wholeheartedly, including those sunny days that make the heart sing and the inevitable trials that darken the proverbial skies. But more than the good times, it's the battles that each person fights that make him stronger. Just like the four seasons that make up the year, people go through seasons of life filled with struggles, but those who overcome emerge from the forge with wills strengthened and tempered in the fires.

And of all the trials that a person faces in life, none are more demanding than the ones waged in the heart.

 **Moscow, Russia**

"Okay, I added the tuna and the noodles. What's next, Pyrix?"

The red and orange wolf propped her front paws up on the kitchen counter so she could peer down at the open cookbook. Normally her shoulders came up to Eri's waist. When she was propped up on two legs, however, she was almost as tall as her mistress' 5'9". The golden armor on her chest and the red ruby on her forehead glittered brightly under the kitchen lights. "Next, spread the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese evenly over the top to make the crust."

"All right, got it." Eri's jade green eyes narrowed, and her face was a mask of total concentration as she used a knife to apply the mixture according to the recipe's instructions. 'American cookbooks have the most unusual recipes,' she mused privately. 'Who would have thought you could put canned tuna into a casserole?' After a couple of tense minutes, she laid the knife down to survey her handiwork with satisfaction. A strand of dark brown hair had worked itself free from her ponytail, which Eri brushed behind her ear with the back of her hand. "Now do I just stick it in the oven?"

"That's correct," Pyrix replied. "You did remember to preheat it to 350 degrees, right?"

"Of course I did! Give me a little more credit that that," Eri answered somewhat indignantly. Using oven mitts, she opened the hot oven and carefully placed the casserole dish on the top rack before closing it swiftly.

After a moment, Eri took a cautious step backwards, hands held up as if afraid of somehow ruining her hard work. "Pyrix," she announced slowly, "I think…I may have just succeeded in cooking something edible."

"Yes, well…that's assuming you remember to actually take it out of the oven this time," Pyrix reminded her dryly.

Eri rounded on her bit beast with a sharp glare. "Hey, that only happened once!" The wolf cocked her head to one side with a disbelieving expression. "Okay…twice," Eri acceded. Pyrix narrowed her eyes and growled softly. "The third time wasn't my fault! My cell phone alarm didn't go off to remind me!"

"That's because you set it for 6 AM instead of 6 PM," Pyrix reminded her.

Eri groaned in defeat and frustration. Sometimes Pyrix's flawless memory was positively infuriating. "Hey, at least I do better at this than you. You have to give me that much." Great, now she was grasping at straws.

"Very well, Eri. I will admit that you cook better than a four-legged animal spirit lacking opposable thumbs," Pyrix replied sarcastically.

For a moment, Eri could only stare at her bit beast in utter disbelief. Finally she muttered, "I'm going to stop talking right now before I dig myself into an even deeper hole…"

Pyrix's barking laughter accompanied Eri's walk of shame out of the kitchen. She was a world-class beyblader, the captain of the team that placed third in the last World Championships, and a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. However…

…she completely and utterly **failed** at cooking.

While the casserole cooked in the oven, Eri and Pyrix lounged on the couch in the living room to watch TV. Eri rested a hand on the wolf's warm, furry neck while Pyrix sprawled lazily across her mistress' lap. The soothing heat radiating from Pyrix's body lulled Eri into a light doze. Twenty minutes later, the front door opened, jolting her awake. Pyrix lifted her head, and her happy tail wag told Eri immediately that it was Tala.

Before Eri could get up, Tala poked his head through the doorway. "Hey, Eri," he greeted her with a gentle smile.

Pyrix retreated to her beyblade to give the couple some privacy while Eri got off the couch and hurried to his side. He pulled her into his arms in a caring embrace as she replied, "Hello to you too."

Tala pulled away and gave her a quick kiss. "Did you have a good day at work?" he asked curiously.

"It was…interesting. We had a few tournament bladers stop by for repairs, but that was about it." With the World Championships over, Eri had recently gone back to working at a beyblade repair shop in Moscow, which had been her usual place of employment since she had turned sixteen. Not to mention she picked up plenty of tips on how to repair and upgrade her teammates' beyblades in the process. "Oh, I almost forgot! I need to check the casserole!"

As Eri rushed past Tala into the kitchen, his face instantly took on an amused expression. "Oh? You actually tried to cook?" he asked with a slight smirk.

Eri shot him a withering look. "Not you too. Pyrix was giving me grief all afternoon while I tried to make it." She pulled on her oven mitts and opened the oven, carefully removing the hot casserole dish and placing it on the stovetop to cool. She gave her dish a quick onceover. She checked the internal temperature with a cooking thermometer and checked it twice for good measure. "I think…it's done. And it's actually not burnt for once." She closed the oven and turned it off.

Tala peered over Eri's shoulder at the casserole. "Hmmm…looks edible." He "oofed" as Eri jabbed him sharply in the gut with her elbow.

Eri tossed him a sideways glare. "Do you have a problem with my cooking?"

Tala smirked. "Not as long as I don't keel over from food poisoning," he teased.

"Well, you don't have to worry this time. Look, I actually used a recipe." Eri indicated the open cookbook with a wave of her hand.

Tala bent down to get a closer look, and his eyes widened in mock surprise. "Well, what do you know…? This is a welcome change from when you try to wing it."

Eri sighed in annoyance. "Since when did this turn into pick-on-Eri's-cooking day?"

Tala chuckled. "You're right, I'm sorry. It's not like I can do any better." He kissed her on the cheek to placate her. "Honestly, it's a wonder we don't starve to death around here."

"Speaking of which, who does the cooking at your place anyway?"

"Spencer usually. He's actually a pretty good cook. We also order take-out when he gets sick of cooking all the time…or when we forget to go shopping."

"Wow, Hina would get a kick out of you guys if she knew that," Eri replied with a laugh.

"Yeah, I suppose so. But then she should be happy that her boyfriend has a slight domestic side." Just then, Tala's stomach growled. Rather loudly. "So are we going to stand here talking or take our chances with your casserole of death?"

Eri bit her tongue this time. Trying to make a comeback was already a lost cause.

As it turned out, the casserole really was perfectly edible. If Tala thought it tasted odd, he didn't complain. After eating and cleaning up the kitchen, Tala and Eri settled comfortably on the couch to watch the evening news. At first, the headlines were about the same as usual. Stock market…travel delays…politics…etc. Then one headline caught their attention.

 _Seven months have passed since the trial of Xhaiden Chesnokov and Boris Balkov, two head agents of an underground beyblading company called BIOVOLT, but the aftermath of that controversial case is far from over. U.S. and Russian social workers are still trying to locate the families of over two hundred children rescued from two beyblade training facilities that were implicated in numerous cases of first-degree murder, aggravated sexual assault, and child abuse. Children with no apparent family members are being placed into foster care until further notice…_

 _CLICK_. Eri switched off the TV and set the remote aside with a heavy sigh. Sensing her change in mood, Tala wrapped both arms around her and pulled her against his side, kissing her forehead tenderly. "I can't believe it's been seven months. I thought they would have closed the book on him by now."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple, Eri," Tala replied softly. "It's going to take time to find homes and families for all the displaced beybladers, and it'll take even longer for them to recover physically and mentally."

'Yeah, and I'm the poster child for that,' Eri thought bitterly. She extricated herself from Tala's arms and abruptly stood up, heading for the stairs.

"Where are you going?"

"To get a shower. It's still early, but I'm pretty tired from work." She took the stairs two at a time and disappeared up to the second floor before Tala could reply.

Once he was alone, Tala sat back against the couch with a weary sigh. _Master?_ Wolborg inquired.

' _Looks like the headline shook her up a bit,_ ' Tala replied, answering Wolborg's unspoken question. ' _Seven months…time passes quickly, doesn't it?_ '

 _Indeed, for my kind, seven months is little more than the blink of an eye. It is surely not enough time to heal the emotional scars that have been inflicted over a span of many years._

' _Yeah,_ ' Tala replied noncommittally. But he couldn't deny his bit beast's statement. After all, it wasn't as if he couldn't relate.

Life had settled down quite a bit since the World Championships. March had just begun, ushering in the season of spring, though it was hard to tell in the frigid climate of Russia. After defeating the BBA Revolution in a stunning upset and claiming the title of World Champions, the Blitzkrieg Boys had returned to Moscow and were already training for next year's tournament.

Following the trial of Boris and Xhaiden, BIOVOLT had been forcibly dissolved, and the courts had ruled that the company pay reparations to each child subjected to the cruelties of the Russian and American facilities – at least to the ones that came forward. That meant that the Temporal Knights, the Blitzkrieg Boys, Omega Platoon, and all of Boris and Xhaiden's surviving trainees had been awarded a substantial sum of money for medical bills, pain and suffering, and potential lost income as adults due to psychological and emotional trauma. Eri, Sonja, and anyone over 18 could access those funds immediately, while the sums awarded to minors were set up as trust funds for when they became legal adults. Eri had worked with Mr. Dickenson to tuck her funds away in safe investments to provide residual income, but she still wanted to pull her weight with a job. The trial had been a matter of international consequence, considering that so many of the children came from different countries, so dozens of national governments were still working together to ensure that each victim in the case received his or her share to help them begin rebuilding their lives. For the Temporal Knights, Blitzkrieg Boys, and Omega Platoon, the money bought them valuable time to figure out where they would go in life now that they had their futures ahead of them at last.

As for the rest of Eri's team, they had gone their separate ways and returned to their home countries after the trial had been decided. Sonja was back in Thessaloniki, Greece with her extended family. Nakia was back in Cairo, Egypt and had transferred to a new high school. Hina had remained in her hometown of Osaka, Japan and was a high school 2nd-year. Kai, Bryan, and Spencer kept in regular contact with them through email, phone, and Skype, but Tala could tell that they missed them, even though they didn't explicitly show it. He was just lucky that Eri lived so close to Moscow. Any time that he wasn't training his team was spent with her.

At first, things were a little awkward for Tala and Eri. Brought together through adversity, they were suddenly faced with the novel situation of actually having a normal dating relationship. It had taken Tala some time for Eri to get used to having him around, and he had worked patiently to earn her trust. But in hindsight, Tala knew that all his effort was more than worth it. She had opened up to him considerably and seemed more relaxed and at ease. Their relationship was far from perfect and carefree, but it was the effort they made that kept their bond strong.

Tala stayed downstairs and idly flipped through the channels for another half hour to give Eri some time to finish her shower and get ready for bed. Then he picked up the sounds of footsteps coming from the direction of the bedroom, so he clicked off the TV and headed upstairs. He entered the bedroom to find Eri at her desk shutting down her laptop. She was wearing a pale blue cotton shirt and gray sweat pants. "Checking email?" Tala inquired.

"Yeah, Nakia emailed me this afternoon," Eri replied a bit absentmindedly. "Apparently her spring break starts soon."

"Yeah? How is she enjoying her new school?"

Eri rolled her eyes a little. "She complains all the time about the uniform. She hates wearing skirts every day. But other than that, she loves it. She got special permission from the BBA to use a portion of her trust fund to cover the tuition." Her eyes took on a mischievous expression. "Between you and me, I think she transferred so she can more easily apply to international colleges to be closer to Bryan."

Tala chuckled softly, leaning casually against the doorframe. "Your secret is safe with me."

Eri craned her neck back to regard her boyfriend. "You know, you don't have to come to bed now if you don't want."

"No, it's fine. I had the team up early for training this morning, so I'm pretty wiped out too," Tala replied. He went over to the dresser and pulled out a change of clothes. They had recently passed the milestone where they each had a designated drawer at each other's house. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and went into the adjoining bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Tala came out a few minutes later in a white t-shirt and black sweat pants to find the bedroom empty. He heard Eri's voice coming from the hall talking softly in Greek. She came back in a few moments later, flipping her cell phone closed. "That was Sonja," Eri offered by way of explanation.

"I figured as much," Tala replied. He smirked slightly and added, "With you around, I may learn enough languages to become an interpreter."

"Ha ha, very funny," Eri replied sarcastically. One thing Xhaiden had emphasized in his Abbey was learning multiple languages for international tournaments. Since the Abbey was in the U.S., Eri had learned English as a second language early in life, followed in turn by Japanese, Greek, and Egyptian Arabic. Although, she had to admit her Arabic was rusty, as she didn't start learning it until her early teens, when she met Nakia.

Tala crawled under the covers first and scooted back to make room for Eri as she followed suit and rolled onto her left side so she faced the door. Wordlessly, Tala wrapped an arm around her waist and let her snuggle back into his chest. This was how they slept every night; in fact, Eri physically could not sleep unless she could feel the full length of Tala's body pressed against her back – or the wall, in case he wasn't there. The first time he spent the night, Tala had thought nothing of it, but as he noticed that she slept in the same position every night, he grew more and more perplexed. Not that he complained over being able to hold her so closely in his arms every night, no, far from it. However, his curiosity finally got the better of him and he asked Pyrix to explain it to him.

 _That habit goes back to her days at Xhaiden's Abbey,_ Pyrix had told him. _The trainees could attack each other on a whim, and it was perfectly acceptable to attack from behind. Eri always slept facing the door with her back to the wall so no one could sneak up behind her and stab her in the back to eliminate a potential rival. It's so ingrained into her now that she does it without thinking._

The mere thought that Eri had to survive in such hellish conditions roused Tala's protective instincts, and his arm tightened subconsciously around her, pulling her closer to his chest. Sensing a change in Tala's mood, Eri craned her neck to look back at him. "What is it?" she asked softly, her face bearing a groggy, confused expression that Tala found adorable.

Tala gave her a reassuring smile. "It's nothing. Go to sleep." Satisfied, Eri shifted into a more comfortable position against him and sighed in contentment. He softly kissed the nape of her neck and was rewarded by feeling her shiver. Smirking, Tala trailed gentle, lingering kisses up and down her neck.

Eri moaned breathlessly in pleasure. "Tala…" she groaned. "You're making it…difficult to sleep…" she managed between moans.

"Who said anything about sleeping?" he teased suggestively. He "oofed" as Eri jabbed her elbow back into his gut. "I was kidding!"

"I know, but you still deserved it," Eri replied with a hint of mirth in her voice. "Now are you going to behave, or do I have to get mean?"

Tala sighed in mock defeat. "Killjoy." He kissed her neck one last time. "I love you."

"I love you too," Eri replied softly. Tala felt her relax against him, comforted by his presence, and soon her breathing evened out to indicate that she had fallen asleep.

Tala gazed protectively at the young woman asleep in his arms and thought privately, ''I'll do anything to make her feel safe again.' Assured that she was sleeping soundly, Tala closed his eyes and drifted off shortly thereafter.

 _Even though her subconscious knew this was a dream, the instinctive dread was devastatingly real. The cold stone walls, the damp chilly air, the bare light bulbs that flickered constantly, and the silent, foreboding atmosphere were exactly as she remembered. Six-year old Eri sat at an overly crowded, rickety table with a dozen other young girls. However, the childish cheer and light that should have shone in their eyes had long been extinguished. Now their group sat in a solemn silence, picking at their meager lunch and casting wary glances at each other, as if fearing an ambush._

 _This was how they spent every lunch period, eating in silence and watching their backs. However, Eri had gotten to know the faces of each of the girls, even if she did not know their names or even speak some of their languages, and she took some small measure of comfort in that familiarity. But today saw an empty seat. Taking a mental inventory of the faces, Eri realized with a jolt that the empty seat belonged to her roommate, a timid five-year old girl from Hungary. Language barriers had prevented them from communicating, but Eri still maintained some small affection for her._

 _An instinctive, nameless dread gripped her heart without warning, and Eri jumped out of her chair, ignoring the stares in the silent mess hall when it clattered noisily to the ground. Without a backwards glance at the guards lining the perimeter, she dashed out of the room and down a familiar stone hallway as fast as her tiny legs could carry her. Her footfalls resounded like hammer blows in the dead silence of the hallway, and her breath came in short gasps as a cold sweat broke out on her face. Eri reached her room at the end of the hallway and yanked the door open with both hands. A shaft of light pierced the darkness of the tiny room, and Eri's hands flew to her mouth as her eyes widened and she gasped silently in horror._

 _Broken glass littered the cold stone floor, the window having been shattered by a bullet. In the middle of the floor, between the two narrow beds, lay Eri's roommate in a pool of her own blood. Her broken body lay facedown on her stomach, one hand stretched in front of her as if reaching for the door. A single bullet hole in her back revealed the cause of death with painful clarity._

 _Eri was too stunned and horrified to move. She could only stand there and stare in disbelief, her hands covering her mouth, which hung open in a silent scream. A rough hand on her shoulder jolted her back to reality, and she was forcibly turned to face the cruel, yet handsome face of Xhaiden Chesnokov. Her cold-hearted drill instructor pinned her with his icy cobalt gaze._

 _"That, young Eri, is the price for failure…"_

Eri's eyes flew open as she abruptly jerked away with a strangled gasp. Her breathing came in panicked bursts as she glanced frantically around the dark room, her muscles instinctively frozen in unnamed fear.

She gave a start as an arm tightened its grip around her waist, and she became aware of the warm, muscled body pressed against her back. "Eri? Are you okay?" Tala's voice asked worriedly.

Reality started to overpower the horrific images of her dream, and Eri focused on the feeling of safety that Tala's presence provided as she forced her tense body to relax. "I'm fine…"

Tala gently trailed his fingers up Eri's arm and caressed her cheek in what he hoped was a soothing gesture. "Do you want to talk?"

A part of Eri's mind screamed at her to roll over and bury her face in Tala's chest, while the other part, one that was much more ingrained, kept her frozen in place facing away from him. "…No. I just want to go back to sleep," she finally replied.

Tala sighed, knowing it would do no good to try and reason with her. "All right, but I'm here if you need me." He pulled her a little closer and pressed a soft kiss against the exposed skin on her shoulder. He lay awake with her for nearly half an hour until he felt her breathing slow into the familiar rhythm of one who was asleep. Only then did he relax his silent vigil enough to allow his eyes to close.

'I'm sorry, Tala,' Eri thought privately as she sensed him drift into sleep. A single tear tracked a salty trail down her cheek as she resigned herself to wait out the rest of the night.

 **Thessaloniki, Greece**

The crowded streets of the city of Thessaloniki bustled with activity as people hurried to and fro, going about their daily business. Modern and classical architecture heralding an age long past intermingled in a chaotic, yet harmonious symphony. A young woman with chin-length, honey brunette hair weaved through the pressing throngs of locals and tourists, despite her vision being partially obscured by a paper bag of groceries.

At long last, the crowds started to thin as she moved past the metropolitan areas to the residential outskirts of the city. Towering apartment buildings gave way to smaller condos and a few small, old houses that had survived the ravages of time. It was at the doorway of one of these antiquated houses, complete with a small garden in the backyard, that she finally stopped. Balancing her burden on her hip, she produced a brass key from her pocket and unlocked the front door. The familiar, homey scent of baking bread greeted her senses as she entered the house.

"Grandmother, I'm home!" she called.

"I'm in the kitchen, Sonja," an elderly woman's voice called back, her voice slightly muffled by the walls.

Sonja entered the small, yet cheery kitchen to find her grandmother, Cloris Vasdekis, hunched over the oven, taking out a freshly baked loaf of bread. She set her burden down on the counter and kissed Cloris on the cheek in a fond greeting. "I got the groceries and picked up your medicine."

"Thank you, dear," the shorter, gray-haired woman replied, a perpetual smile playing at the corner of her lips. "Dinner will be ready soon. I'm sure you're hungry."

Sonja laughed gently. "Grandmother, that's one thing I never have to worry about around you." Just then, her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. Sonja's heart skipped a beat at the name that appeared on the caller ID. "E-excuse me," she stammered with a slight blush. She quickly stepped out of the kitchen to answer the phone, switching her speech to Russian. Cloris waited patiently for Sonja to finish, despite not understanding what Sonja was saying. However, the unusually excited tone of her granddaughter's voice told her that this wasn't a routine call from her team captain.

After several minutes, Sonja returned, clutching her phone in one hand and grinning from ear to ear, a rare occurrence for the normally reserved girl. "Grandmother, we're going to have a visitor."

 **Cairo, Egypt**

The bell tolled at precisely 2:55 P.M. at British Columbia Canadian International School, and dozens of students attired in the red, black, and beige tones of the school uniform began streaming from the ornately designed main building and breaking off into smaller groups. Some began heading for the metro, while others gathered in the parking lot to catch up on the day's gossip before heading to their after-school activities or home.

"So, Nakia, how did you think you did on the biology exam?"

The dark-haired, tanned Egyptian teen ran her hands through the wayward strands of hair that had come free of her ponytail. "Argh, I don't know. That class is hard!"

"Tell me about it," another girl in the group chimed in. "I'm just glad spring break starts soon. What are everyone's plans?"

The other girls in Nakia's group began rattling off plans to visit friends, relatives, or even go on a short holiday with their families to other parts of the country. "What about you, Nakia? Are you visiting Russia again?"

"Yeah, we can't wait to watch you in the next World Championship!"

Nakia giggled nervously and replied sheepishly, "Well…about that…" At that moment, her cell phone vibrated in her pocket, and she quickly scrambled to open it to find a much-anticipated text message. She couldn't stop the excited squeal as she jumped up and down excitedly. "It's my boyfriend! He's coming to visit and just confirmed his flight time!"

That got a reaction from the group of high school girls, as she had kept her relationship a carefully guarded secret, and they immediately started peppering Nakia with questions about the so-called mystery boy.

"BRYAN?! From the Blitzkrieg Boys?!"

"Oh my gosh, we watched you both in the World Championships!"

"He's so hot!"

"Lucky you!"

Classic high school girl chatter came from all directions, and Nakia could only giggle in embarrassment. 'Uh-oh…me and my big mouth…'

 **Moscow, Russia**

Tala woke up early the next morning to find the space next to him conspicuously empty. The sheets were cold against his fingertips, indicating that the occupant had already been awake for some time. Sighing, Tala sat up and ran his hand through his sleep-mussed hair.

 _I take it you didn't sleep much either, master?_ Wolborg inquired.

' _Yeah…_ ' Tala replied. ' _What about you?_ '

 _Pyrix was restless last night after Eri woke up,_ Wolborg explained simply. In his mind's eye, Tala saw Wolborg lift his snout and sniff the air. _I smell coffee._

' _Typical,_ ' Tala muttered mentally as he threw off the covers and decided to head downstairs to check on Eri.

Sure enough, he found Eri in the kitchen next to the coffee pot. She leaned with her back against the counter while she held a full mug of coffee in one hand. She gave a small start as Tala walked into the room, as if she had been lost in thought.

"Coffee?" Eri asked, indicating the mostly full coffee pot with her mug. She secretly hoped the change of topic would stave off any questions or unnecessary concern about last night.

"Sure." Tala grabbed a clean mug out of the cabinet and poured himself a cup of coffee, making sure to avoid the sickly-sweet chocolate creamer that Eri always used. He preferred his coffee black. Tala took a long swig, composing his thoughts, and broke the silence. "What happened last night?"

Eri chose her words carefully. After all, there was no need to worry him anymore than necessary. "It was just a dream," she replied with a careless shrug. "It doesn't mean anything."

Tala wanted to press the issue further, but he knew such an effort would be wasted. He could sense an invisible wall between them, one that Tala had tried to get past but with limited success. She was still too used to keeping her thoughts and feelings private for her own protection. And based on the defensive set of her body and her refusal to make eye contact, he definitely wasn't going to get any more information out of her.

"I see." Tala downed the rest of his coffee in a single gulp and set the mug in the sink. "I'm going upstairs to take a shower." He left the kitchen wordlessly, leaving Eri alone with her thoughts.

 _Mistress? Are you okay?_ Pyrix prodded gently.

' _Yeah…I'm fine._ '

 **Osaka, Japan**

The sun was leaving heavily toward the west as the after-school bell chimed and the cram school teacher finally closed his notes. "That will be all for today. Please study the required readings for a quiz tomorrow."

"Yes sir," the class chimed in unison before rising to gather their belongings.

Hina sighed wearily as she closed her notebook and stuffed it into her bag, which was already bursting at the seams with her normal classwork. 'I'll be awake for half the night with all of this extra work,' she thought, resisting the urge to yawn.

 _Mistress, will you be okay?_ Arashi asked in her mind.

 _'Don't worry. I'm just extra busy right now with the upcoming exams,'_ Hina reassured her bit beast.

"Hina-san, you seem tired today. Are you not feeling well?" one of her classmates, a friendly girl with whom she studied, asked in concern.

Hina smiled at her friend reassuringly. "No, I'm fine. I promise, I'll get some more sleep once we get through this week's exams."

That answer seemed to satisfy the other girl as they departed the classroom with a few other female classmates. Hina listened politely to their conversations for a few moments. "The new teacher sure is strict. I'm worried about the quiz tomorrow."

"Yes, I've already had to call out of my part-time job a few times to study."

"Yuuki-san, did you say you had a date on Sunday?"

"Oh no, you're right! Thanks for reminding me! I almost forgot to call him back!"

"I'm amazed you have time to go on dates while attending cram school."

Hina suddenly stopped in her tracks and gasped, rummaging in her bag in a panic. "Hina-san, what's wrong?" one of her friends asked.

"I can't believe I almost forgot…!" she trailed off, pulling her cell phone out and flipping it open. The screen said she had missed one call, and her heart sank. She punched the redial button before considering the privacy of the conversation. The call was answered on the first ring. "Spencer, I'm so sorry! I had cram school tonight, and…" Her voice cut off as she listened, and her friends gathered closer, their curiosity suddenly piqued to hear their normally quiet classmate talking to a boy.

Her expression suddenly changed to one of complete delight. "Of course! I'm free all next week!" She nodded emphatically, even though Spencer couldn't see from the other end. "Yes…right…I'll meet you there! See you soon!" Hina ended the call and closed her phone, and only then did she notice the teasing, knowing expressions of her classmates. "…eep!"

"Soooo…" Yuuki drawled. "It appears that someone has been keeping secrets!"

Hina gulped. _Arashi? Help?_

 _'Sorry, Mistress, but matters of romance as they relate to human females are beyond my knowledge,'_ Arashi replied immediately, ruffling his feathers and leaving Hina to the interrogation of her too-curious friends.

 **Moscow, Russia – That same morning**

Eri finished her coffee and walked back upstairs to her room to check on Tala. Upon entering her bedroom, she heard the sound of the shower running from behind the closed door of the adjoining bathroom. One thing she never had to worry about with him was fighting over the shower. He always showered in the morning, while she did it at night. It was a minor detail, but it was just one more thing that made their relationship run more smoothly.

She walked over to her desk to unplug her cell phone from its charger. At the same time, she heard the shower cut off. To pass the time, she sat on the edge of her bed and checked her messages…or lack thereof. Whatever her teammates were up to, they were obviously having fun, or else they would have called.

After a couple of minutes, Eri turned her head in the direction of the closed bathroom door. "You know, Tala, if you stay in there any longer you'll look like a prune."

As if in response, the door swung open wordlessly, letting out a decent-sized cloud of steam. Tala was standing in front of the mirror towel-drying his hair. However, Eri blushed furiously upon noting that he wasn't wearing a shirt.

Eri coughed to get his attention. "Tala, you remember that little conversation we had about modesty?"

Tala gave her a look of pure innocence. "What? I'm wearing pants," he replied, glancing down at said pants for emphasis.

Eri flopped back onto the bed with a groan. "I swear, you're unbelievable sometimes." Tala just chuckled. Eri rolled her eyes and stared up at the ceiling. "You mind telling me why exactly you're standing there shirtless with the bathroom door open?"

Still rubbing his hair with the towel, Tala replied, "Because it gets oppressively hot in here. I had to let some of the steam out before I melted. It's one of the disadvantages to having an ice-element bit beast." He glanced over at Eri through the towel. "Honestly, I don't know how you tolerate it."

"Well, that's just one of the advantages to having a fire-element bit beast," Eri replied with a smirk. Now it was Tala who rolled his eyes. Eri turned her head to the side and watched in silence as Tala finished drying his hair and hung up the towel. His blood-red locks hung straight and came down to lightly brush the top of his shoulders. Eri had never seen him with his hair down like that, but she had to admit that it looked **very** good.

 _Uh-oh, somebody's staring,_ Pyrix teased in a singsong voice.

' _Shut it…_ ' Eri grumbled back. However, she forgot about her annoyance at her bit beast when she saw Tala reach for a bottle of…something. "What's that?"

Tala showed her the bottle and gave her a perplexed look. "Hair gel. Why?"

Ah-hah, so that was the secret to his bizarre hairstyle. Eri stood up abruptly and swiped the bottle from his hands. "Hey! What are you doing?" the redhead protested.

"We're going to try something new today with your hair," Eri replied matter-of-factly.

Tala quirked an eyebrow. "Since when did you join the fashion police? And there's nothing wrong with my hairstyle."

Eri gave her boyfriend a mild glare. "Well, that doesn't mean you always have to have two devil horns sticking out of your head." When Tala glared at her in return, she just rolled her eyes. "Oh, just go with me on this. If it doesn't work, you can gel it into a Mohawk for all I care."

Tala crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her in a mock challenging manner. "Fine, fine, there's never any point in arguing with you anyway."

Grinning at her minor victory, Eri turned him around to face the mirror and stood behind him, running her fingers through his hair to get out the tangles. She was surprised at how silky and smooth it was without the gel, and the feel of it slipping through her fingers sent a brief shiver down her spine. It only took a minute to work out the tangles, but Eri ran her fingers through his hair a few more times just for the heck of it. After all, this might be the last time she got to do this if Tala didn't like it.

Grabbing one of her spare hair ties off the counter, Eri gathered Tala's hair into a low, short ponytail that came to the nape of his neck. She left the two long strands free so they could frame his face. "There. What do you think?"

Tala stared at his reflection in the mirror for a moment, as if making sure the person staring back was really him. 'Well, what do you know…'

 _Not bad,_ Wolborg remarked.

' _And who asked you?_ ' Tala shot back. He turned to Eri and chose his response carefully. After all, he couldn't give her too much satisfaction, now could he? "Not bad…" Wolborg grinned wolfishly in his head, which Tala ignored. "And now it's my turn," he added with a smirk.

Eri's eyes widened. "W-what?"

"Well, if you want to comment on my hairstyle, it's only fair that I get a turn as well," he replied.

Eri crossed her arms defensively over her chest, taking a step backward into the bedroom. "Oh? And what would you know about women's hairstyles?" she asked skeptically.

Without answering, Tala stepped closer so that Eri could feel his warm breath on her face and reached up with one hand to where she kept her hair in its usual ponytail. Eyes half-lidded, he gently tugged out the hair tie so that her dark brown tresses spilled freely down to her shoulders. "There. That's better," he whispered in a husky tone. He reached up with one hand to cup her cheek, letting his fingertips entwine with her hair, while the other slid from the back of her head along her side and down to her hip bone, gently grabbing it possessively.

Eri swallowed a moan as passion flared up, hot and insistent. Even after all the time they had spent together, he could still render her weak in the knees with just a look. "You're still not wearing a shirt," she protested weakly.

"So?" he asked barely above a whisper. Then he dipped his head and took her lips in a heated kiss. Eri rested her hands on Tala's shoulders and pressed closer to him as she surrendered to the mind-melting bliss. The naked heat radiating from his bare chest felt positively heavenly, and a few stray water droplets lingered on his skin, giving him a vaguely disheveled, yet still drop head sexy appearance. Tala wasted no time in gaining entrance to Eri's mouth and smirked against her lips when he felt her shiver. He coaxed her down onto the bed without breaking the kiss so that he ended up on his hands and knees above her. Eri finally had to pull away for air, leaving Tala free to trail soft, lingering kisses down her neck. She slowly trailed her hands up his well-toned chest, causing him to moan softly while he lavished attention on her neck, and wrapped them around his broad shoulders. Feeling bolder, she pulled him down closer so that she could feel the full weight and length of his body pressed against hers. Tala shuddered in a sudden rush of pleasure and abruptly lifted his head to take her lips in a fervent, hungry kiss.

The unwelcome sound of Eri's cell phone killed the mood about as effectively as a bucket of ice water. Eri groaned and shot a hateful look at the offending piece of technology. She reached for the phone, muttering something about chucking it out the window, while Tala rolled onto his side and cuddled her from behind to wait out the unwelcome interruption.

"Hello, this is Eri speaking…" A brief pause. "Oh, Mr. Dickenson. Good to hear from you…Hm? What is it?" Silence fell over the room for several long moments while Eri listened to whatever Mr. Dickenson was saying. Then, she suddenly stiffened in Tala's arms, and her tone of voice changed. "Oh…I see…"

Sensing Eri's change of mood, Tala instinctively tightened his grip around her to try and reassure her with his presence while he waited anxiously for the phone conversation to end so he could get an explanation. Eri extricated herself from his arms absentmindedly and crossed the room nervously as she listened. Eri's distress was mirrored by Pyrix, which in turn set Wolborg on edge. He paced restlessly within the confines of Tala's mind and tried to reach out to Pyrix, but she had shut him out to respect Eri's privacy.

"I'll make the necessary preparations. Thank you for letting me know." Eri snapped her phone shut and set it back on the nightstand with a heavy sigh.

"Eri?" Tala prodded gently, giving her a blessed anchor to reality. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" He wished he could see her face so he could tell what she was thinking.

A pregnant pause filled the tense atmosphere before Eri finally spoke. "Mr. Dickenson…he…found my family…"

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I thought I'd keep alive the tradition of cliff-hanging you guys on the first chapter. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought! If I get a positive response, I'll continue this project and see it through until the end.


	2. Chapter 2: Transcontinental Reunions

Author's Note: Happy almost Thanksgiving! I wanted to get another chapter posted before my parents arrived to celebrate Thanksgiving with me and my husband. We had four of his guy friends visiting this past weekend, so it's been a bit crazy with all the hosting. Have you ever fed five grown men for a weekend?! It's scary how much they can eat! Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. I just own my OCs and the plot of this story.

Chapter 2: Transcontinental Reunions

 **Moscow, Russia**

The Blitzkrieg Boys, who were gathered in the living room of their shared house, looked up in unison at the sound of the front door slamming. Wordlessly, Tala came in and flopped onto the couch with a deep sigh.

Sensing his captain's distressed mood, Kai hazarded a guess as to the cause from his spot in a leather arm chair. "Let me guess. You got thrown into the doghouse."

Tala gave his best friend an indignant look. "Sheesh, Kai, give me a little more credit than **that**."

"Um…PMS?" Bryan ventured somewhat awkwardly.

"Hah, I wish," Tala replied mirthlessly.

"Okay, so if you didn't screw things up with Eri and it's not hormones, then why in the world are you so bummed?" Ian pressed.

"Mr. Dickenson found her family," Tala explained simply. Four sets of eyes turned to him abruptly, and the ensuing silence grew even thicker as anticipation hung over their small group.

"But…that's a good thing, right?" Spencer asked, breaking the suffocating silence.

"Apparently not for her. As soon as she got the phone call, Eri holed herself up in her room and wouldn't come out. Whenever I tried to ask what was wrong, she just snapped at me and told me to go away," Tala replied.

"Are they coming here?" Kai asked.

"Yeah, she told me that at least. They'll be here in three days. It's just a visit though. A few days, a week tops. They live in Japan and have two younger children in school, so I suppose that's a good thing."

"Well, I wish I could say that I'll be here to offer moral support, but I have a plane to catch tomorrow," Kai stated with a half-smirk, pillowing his head in his hands.

"Oh? And where are you heading in such a hurry?" Tala asked teasingly, already knowing the answer.

"Greece. I haven't seen Sonja since the World Championships."

"I should probably take this opportunity to announce that I'm leaving for Egypt in three days," Bryan added.

"And I'm flying out to Japan to see Hina the same day," Spencer said.

"When did all this happen?" Tala asked surprised.

"After you left yesterday," Spencer replied. "You see Eri all the time, but the rest of us have to deal with long distance relationships until the next World Championship Tournament."

Tala gave his teammates a mild glare. "You couldn't have picked a worse time to leave me here all alone."

"Oh don't worry, you won't be completely alone," Bryan said with a smirk. "Ian will still be here." The aforementioned purple-haired blader grinned mischievously at Tala and snickered.

Tala's face dropped into his hands. "I'm so screwed…"

* * *

Eri wandered the streets aimlessly with no particular destination in mind. It was a Sunday, so the Beyblade shop where she worked was closed. Her mind spun with the news that had turned her world upside-down. She had a family. Parents and siblings, and according to Mr. Dickenson, they were completely overjoyed to finally meet her.

So why did Eri feel such a sense of dread?

She rounded the corner and looked up to see St. Basil's Cathedral looming in the distance. The rounded domes and spires were classic Russian architecture, and the Russian Orthodox Church had been a dominant fixture in Moscow for hundreds of years. The church bells tolled to announce the conclusion of the morning's service, and the congregation was making its mass exodus from the cathedral as Eri approached the wide double doors, which stood open in welcome to passersby. The women wore their Sunday best, which consisted of long skirts and dresses underneath luxurious-looking fur coats, while the men held open doors, helped their wives down the icy stairs, and looked polished yet understated.

Without stopping to think, Eri moved against the crowds and entered the main sanctuary. The head bishop, an aging gentleman with a gray beard and a kind smile, was still shaking hands and conversing with a small group that lingered after the service. Eri felt somewhat out of place in her sweater, dark jeans, and practical black knee-high boots, so she ducked in the shadows at the back of the sanctuary and slid into the rearmost pew. Paintings of sacred images, sculptures of the Crucifixion, and other Christian symbols adorned the walls and windows of the expansive sanctuary and vaulted ceilings, but the space also held an air of peace and welcome. Eri felt some of the tension in her body ease away as her thoughts settled.

"Ah, back again I see." Eri gave a start as the bishop settled into the pew in front of her and turned to face her, arranging his clerical robes as he did so.

"You recognize me?" Eri asked in confusion. "This congregation is huge."

"You'd be amazed at how people stick out when they try too hard to blend in," the bishop replied with a kind smile. "You wait until the service begins and sneak into the rearmost pew. You never say a word to anyone, and you're also the first one out the door."

Eri glanced to the side. "Yeah, that sounds like me."

"But clearly you're looking for something here. Otherwise, you wouldn't keep coming back." The bishop's expression wasn't probing or judgmental. He was simply making an observation, a statement of facts. "If you would like to tell me, then maybe together we can find whatever you seek."

Eri thought for a moment, considering her words carefully. "To be honest, I'm not sure myself. I just know that this place feels…safe. Peaceful. I can think more clearly when I'm here."

The bishop nodded in understanding. "And I take it you needed to feel that sense of peace today?"

"Um…yeah, I guess." Eri paused before continuing. "Up until now, I thought I was alone in the world, but I just learned that I have family. They're coming to visit soon, and I don't know how to feel about it."

"Ah, well I can certainly offer some insight into family," the bishop replied with another easy smile. As an unspoken rule, Russians didn't often exchange smiles with strangers, preferring to save that level of intimacy for friends and family. But for whatever reason, the bishop's smile held an air of kindness that put Eri at ease. "Many people consider the church to be a family, and they come here seeking acceptance and understanding from others who believe the same way as they do. It's a different sort of family from your blood relatives, but we still support each other in times of need and celebrate our blessings."

"That…sounds nice, I suppose."

"Let me just give you this one small piece of advice," the bishop added, standing to leave. "People need other people. We all have an innate desire for family of some kind, whether it's your parents, friends, or church family. No one can go through life completely alone, so look for the people who want to share your life with you and cherish them." The bishop gave Eri one last smile and offered his hand. "I wish you the best of luck and God's blessings as you meet this long-lost family."

Eri slowly returned the bishop's smile and accepted his handshake. "Thank you. I'll try."

 **Thessaloniki, Greece – The next day**

Sonja stood amongst the crowds in front of the security checkpoint at Thessaloniki International Airport, bouncing anxiously on her tip-toes as her eyes darted between the electronic board announcing flight arrivals and where disembarking passengers hurried to meet their families, children, and other loved ones. She watched a little girl running into her mother's arms, exhausted parents toting a sleeping baby, and couples either arriving together or embracing after time spent apart. Sonja felt a nervous pang at watching another couple who looked about her age, and her heart started racing as the board updated with the most recently arrived flight from Russia.

'What should I do? What should I say?' Sonja thought frantically as the first of the passengers from the Russian flight began walking towards the security gate.

 _Why do you sound so nervous?_ Lunash asked. _Just act as you always do._

' _Argh, I know you're right, but I haven't seen him in seven months. What if he's changed? What if I've changed?'_ Sonja asked through her mental link with her bit beast. She glanced down self-consciously at the simple floral sundress she wore. Normally she never wore skirts or dresses unless it was absolutely necessary, so she wasn't sure if it even looked good on her.

As if reading her thoughts – which he probably was – Lunash gave a long-suffering sigh and the mental impression of an eye roll. _You look fine, my dear._ He idly wondered if Pyri, Uskadu, or Arashi dealt with these bouts of random self-deprecation in their mistresses as well.

Fortunately, Sonja didn't have any more time to question her appearance, as a familiar head of two-toned blue hair appeared amongst the crowd of passengers. Kai strode casually towards the security gate, a duffel bag slung over one shoulder with his free hand in his jacket pocket and his scarf trailing behind him. He garnered a few appreciative glances from single female passengers, as well as a few whispered comments as to his identity, but he paid them no heed. Instead, his eyes searched through the crowd until they locked onto Sonja, and before she knew it, Kai had wrapped her in his arms and was pressing his lips to hers in a mind-melting kiss.

Sonja moaned in both surprise and pleasure but wasted no time in twining her arms around Kai's neck and returning the kiss, no longer caring what she wore or who witnessed their greeting after such a long separation. When they finally broke apart, Sonja looked up at Kai, remaining in the circle of his arms, and gave a small laugh. "Well, I guess that answers that question."

Kai tilted his head to one side in confusion but nonetheless returned the smile. "What question?"

"What to do when I finally saw you again," Sonja replied matter-of-factly. She moved forward to embrace him again and rested her head against his chest contentedly. "I missed you."

Kai tucked Sonja's head under his chin and held onto her possessively. "I missed you too."

 **Cairo, Egypt – Three days later**

'Geez, can this teacher be anymore boring?'

Uskadu had long since given up on suggesting patience to Nakia, as she continually fidgeted at her desk and alternated between glancing up at the clock and tapping her pencil eraser on her desk. Meanwhile her history teacher continued lecturing at the white board, completely oblivious to the nervous, excited energy of the students who were all too eager for the day to end.

'Just one minute left…!' Nakia resisted the urge to start packing her books early, lest the teacher take offense and make the class stay late as punishment, and instead settled for counting down the seconds until the final bell rang for the day.

"That will be all for today," the older gentleman stated. "Please make sure to complete your assigned readings, and have a wonderful spring break." His words fell on largely deaf ears, as the class wasted no time in packing their belongings and joining the mass exodus in the hallway.

Two of Nakia's female classmates joined her as they made their way to the school entrance, both grinning knowingly. "So, Nakia…big plans for spring break?" the first girl asked.

Nakia blushed scarlet red. "Oh you know…just hanging out. I haven't seen Bryan since the World Championships."

"Well, you definitely need to bring him to the party later this week," the second girl chimed in.

"The pool party, right?" Nakia confirmed. The other girl nodded. "Definitely. Text me the address?"

"Sure! So are you heading to the airport to pick him up?"

Nakia pushed the main door open and started heading down the stairs. "Yeah, his flight arrives in about two ho-" Her voice abruptly vanished as her eyes caught sight of the person waiting at the foot of the stairs. Bryan leaned casually against the railing, smirking victoriously, and raised a hand in a quick wave.

"BRYAN!" Nakia all but squealed in delight and plowed through the crowd on the stairs to fling herself into his arms.

Bryan "oofed" a little but absorbed Nakia's weight easily, crushing her to his chest in a fierce hug and lifting her off her feet to kiss her. Of course their reunion elicited giddy squeals from Nakia's friends, who at least waited until the pair came up for air before hurrying to join them. "Nice to see you too," he said with a small chuckle.

"How did you get here?!" Nakia asked. "I thought your flight didn't arrive for another two hours!"

Bryan's expression took on a positively mischievous note. "I may have forgotten to take the time zones into account, and from there it wasn't difficult to find your school. I've been to Cairo before, after all."

"Oh right, I forgot about that." At that point, Nakia's friends caught up with them, prompting a quick round of introductions and invitations to spring break parties later in the week. Finally Nakia made the excuse that Bryan was probably exhausted from the journey and tugged at his hand to lead him toward the metro. "Whew, sorry about that! They kind of overheard that you were coming to visit."

"Heh, no problem," Bryan replied, draping an arm across Nakia's shoulders and gently pulling her against his side as they walked. "By the way," he began, glancing up and down at her attire and smirking, "nice uniform."

"Oh, I told you not to say anything about the uniform!" Nakia mock-raged, much to Bryan's amusement.

 **Osaka, Japan – Three days later**

' _Oh no, I hope I'm not late!'_

 _Relax, mistress,_ Arashi crooned. _The terminal is just ahead._

Hina weaved as quickly as she could through the crowds at Osaka International Airport, pausing to bow and apologize to anyone that she bumped into in her quest to find the security checkpoint. She had intended to arrive at the airport an hour ago, but her final exam of the day had taken longer than she expected. To add further insult to injury, the subways had been running behind schedule as well, so Spencer's flight had just arrived.

' _I should be okay on time, right? I mean, it takes a while for the plane to taxi on the runway and then for everyone to disembark.'_

 _Indeed._

' _Oh no! What if he flew first class?! He could already be waiting!'_

Arashi only barely kept from rolling his eyes in a decidedly human gesture. _Somehow I don't think he's going to leave without you, even if that were the case._

Fortunately, Arashi was saved from Hina's continued stream of worried consciousness, as she rounded the corner to find Spencer waiting for her just outside of security. He caught her out of the corner of his eye and broke out into a wide grin, moving forward to meet her and setting his duffel bag aside to catch her in a warm embrace.

"Spencer, I'm so sorry I was late," Hina began. "My last exam took long-"

Spencer tapped a finger to Hina's lips to silence her and then replaced his finger with his lips as he kissed her. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad to see you now."

Hina blushed, suddenly self-conscious about the public display of affection. "I missed you. It's been so long." She pushed her worries aside and stood up on tip-toe to kiss him again, more deeply this time.

Need for air drove the two apart several long moments later, and then they began heading toward baggage claim hand-in-hand. "So are you done with your exams?" Spencer asked.

"Yes, finally," Hina replied in obvious relief. "I have a few days off, so it's good that you came to visit now."

"Believe me, it's been long overdue. So what did you have in mind for today?"

"Well, I'm sure you're tired from the flight here, so I thought I would take you back to meet my family and then start fresh tomorrow," Hina suggested. "Is there anything in particular you want to do?"

Spencer smiled warmly at Hina. "Anything sounds great, as long as you're there."

If today was any indication, Hina was going to wind up blushing almost constantly for the next few days.

 **Moscow, Russia**

Eri knocked briskly on the front door of the Blitzkrieg Boys' house and then used her copy of the key to let herself inside. The foyer was eerily quiet, and the spacious five-bedroom house felt even larger with three of its occupants recently departed. Eri hung her overcoat on a wall peg and found Tala in the living room watching the news. He looked up as she approached and switched off the television. "Um…hi," Eri began sheepishly. She hadn't seen Tala or even sent him a text since Mr. Dickenson had contacted her.

"Hey there, stranger," Tala replied. "Ian stepped out to grab some food, in case you were wondering." That was his way of saying that Eri could speak freely without fear of being overheard.

Without another word, Eri crossed the room and curled up on the couch next to Tala, settling comfortably into his arms and sighing in mental exhaustion. "I'm sorry…"

Tala chuckled softly. "What for?" Of course he had never planned on holding a grudge, but part of him still took a bit of guilty pleasure at making Eri admit it.

"I…uh…didn't react well to Mr. Dickenson's news. I've been trying to get my head back on straight for the past couple of days."

"And…?" Tala prodded, now openly teasing her.

Eri huffed grumpily. "And I shouldn't have shut you out like that." She glared at him without any real anger behind the expression. "Happy?"

"Very," Tala replied simply before leaning down to kiss her. He kicked his legs up onto the couch and lay comfortably on his back, gently pulling Eri down to rest against his side between his body and the plush back of the couch. His arm curled around her as she pillowed her head on his shoulder. "So I take it your family comes to visit tomorrow?" Eri nodded wordlessly. "Do you want me to be there with you?"

Eri raised her head in surprise. "Really?"

Tala grinned. "I just finishing teasing you about giving me the cold shoulder for three days. Of course I'll be there."

Eri snuggled closer and sighed in relief. "That…would be great. Thanks."

End chapter

* * *

Author's Note: Hopefully that chapter will tide you over until after Thanksgiving! We'll get into the meat of the plot in the next chapter. In the meantime, please review and tell me what you thought!


	3. Chapter 3: Family Meetings

Hey everyone, so sorry for the extended hiatus. Good grief, has it really been over a year? We've had to deal with family deaths, vacations, moving and changing jobs, and settling into home ownership for the first time ever. I've never abandoned this story, but it's been ages since I've been able to come up for air and even think about fun writing projects. So here we go with a reboot!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. Also, consent is sexy.

* * *

 **Thessaloniki, Greece**

"Did you ever visit Greece during your tournament travels?" Sonja asked, comfortably situated under the arm Kai had slung across her shoulders.

"Once or twice," Kai replied, tugging his girlfriend a little closer to his side as they strolled in lockstep. They walked along the outskirts of the city on a sidewalk with an uninterrupted view of the ocean at sunset. Hues of orange, yellow, and purple played across the water's surface in a breathtaking display. "But those tournaments took place in Athens." He gazed around at the bustling city to his left and the ocean view to his right. "I think I like this city better."

"I'll make sure to show you the sights tomorrow," Sonja replied, and then her expression turned to a sheepish grin. "My grandmother has been asking about you ever since I told her you were coming to visit. I think she's pulling out all the stops for dinner."

Kai gave a small chuckle. "Sounds great." He leaned his head down and whispered huskily in her ear, "I'm starving." Sonja blushed, and the shiver went down her spine straight to her toes.

Sunset had begun to turn to dusk by the time Kai and Sonja rode the last leg of the metro and made their way to the suburbs. Sonja unlocked the front door of the modest cottage and stepped into the foyer. "Come on in," she beckoned to Kai. "Grandmother, I'm back!"

Kai raised his eyebrows at the sight of the smaller, hunched old woman bustling out of the kitchen with flour covering the front of her apron, grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, you must be Kai! My dear Sonja has told me so much about you." Her slightly wavering voice was still warm and hearty as she gently grasped Kai's face and kissed him on both cheeks in greeting.

Kai gave a small start at the sudden display but managed to smile politely at Sonja's grandmother. "It's nice to meet you."

"Please, call me Cloris. Dinner is almost ready, so I'll let Sonja show you to the guest room and get settled. You must be tired from your journey."

"Sure. Thanks," Kai managed as Sonja came to his rescue and took his hand to lead him upstairs. Cloris returned to the kitchen, and the mouthwatering scents of a classic, made-from-scratch Greek dinner followed them up the stairs to the bedrooms.

"Sorry about Grandmother. She's…a little exuberant at times," Sonja whispered.

"Heh, no problem," Kai whispered back. "I'm just relieved this wasn't like 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding.'"

Sonja laughed and asked in disbelief, "You mean you actually watched that?"

"Well, I don't know much about your family. I thought I would do some background research," Kai replied with a shrug.

"Trust me, the movie is nothing like reality. I do have a fairly large extended family, but we're not constantly in each other's business. We're meeting later in the week for the Easter holidays." Sonja stopped in front of an open bedroom door and showed Kai inside, dropping her voice to a whisper. "Sorry…Grandmother is pretty old-fashioned."

Kai dropped his duffel bag on the bed and pulled Sonja towards him, kissing her silently but leaving no doubt in her mind as to his intentions. When they finally came up for air, Kai whispered, "Shall we go see what Cloris has in mind for dinner?" Sonja nodded numbly, her face too red to speak.

 **Later that night…**

The floorboards in the hallway creaked under the pressure of quiet footfalls, quickly bringing Sonja to full wakefulness. The clock beside her bed read shortly after midnight, and she lay awake for a moment, listening in case her grandmother was trying to move around the house in the dark. The floorboards creaked again, and before she could think to panic, the door opened to reveal Kai's silhouette.

"Kai…what are you doing?" Sonja began in a whisper, sitting up in bed and tucking the sheets closer to her chest, suddenly conscious of her thin camisole and sleep shorts.

Kai smirked. "Not being old-fashioned?" He sat on the edge of the bed and trailed his fingers along Sonja's cheek. "Do you want me to leave?"

In answer, Sonja leaned closer and pressed her lips to Kai's. When they pulled away, she whispered, "Grandmother doesn't wear her hearing aids at night, but she wakes up early."

"I'll keep that in mind," Kai replied, kissing Sonja again, more deeply this time. He leaned forward, gently urging her to her back with his body weight. Her hands lifted to wrap around his neck to pull him closer. He let the fingers of one hand skim along the bottom of her camisole, ghosting lightly against the bare skin of her stomach, while he slowly nudged her thighs apart with his knee. Sonja froze briefly and gazed up at him questioningly, eyes half-lidded with equal parts desire and shyness. "Are you okay?" he asked, wanting her full consent before proceeding.

"Please don't stop," Sonja whispered. Kai bent his head to kiss her, and they didn't speak again for a long while…

 **Cairo, Egypt**

Bryan listened in silent amusement as Nakia chattered a mile a minute while they made their way from her school to the metro. She somehow managed to compress several months' worth of news and information since they had last seen each other into the short walk and metro ride into the suburbs where she lived. Bryan mostly contented himself with appropriately timed responses to Nakia's questions. He also shamelessly took advantage of the crowded subway as an excuse to pull Nakia against his chest, her back to his front, which suited her just fine.

"Hey, Bryan?" Nakia craned her head back to rest against Bryan's shoulder, looking up at him while the subway zipped smoothly along the rails.

"Hm?"

"You're awfully quiet. Is everything okay?"

"Oh yeah," Bryan replied, failing to suppress a yawn. "Just a little tired." Scratch that, he was exhausted. He had spent the past 20 hours in airports dealing with flight delays in Russia due to weather, long layovers in crowded terminals, and constant noise. Of all his teammates, Bryan fared the worst in large crowds. Sudden loud noises set his teeth on edge, and he was a notoriously light sleeper. The years spent in Boris' Abbey meant that he was constantly, instinctively on guard when out in public, and not even Falborg's presence could give him enough peace of mind to sleep on the plane. In addition, a toddler had alternated between screaming and kicking the back of his seat on the last leg of his flight and only added to his sour mood.

To add insult to injury, Bryan did not cope well with hot weather. Having lived his entire life in Russia, even temperate climates made him sweat. Even in spring, the hot weather of Egypt was already turning him into a metaphorical puddle.

They eventually arrived in an older subdivision with small, single-family homes, and Nakia ushered Bryan through the front door into a neat, tiled foyer occupied by a coat rack and a single pair of black combat boots. A staircase directly in front of them led to the second floor and obscured their view of the living room and kitchen. "Uncle Seth, I'm home!" Nakia called. "And I brought Bryan!"

"Oh good, you're back early." A young man no older than his late twenties came to greet them from behind the staircase, and Bryan immediately took note of the uniform that marked him as a colonel in the Egyptian Air Force. He shared Nakia's dark hair, though cut short in a military haircut, and tanned skin, and they easily could have passed for siblings. "I'm Seth Ghali, Nakia's uncle." He shook Bryan's hand with a firm, yet friendly grip. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Likewise," Bryan replied, forcing a smile despite the jet lag. "Thanks for letting me stay."

"Not a problem at all," Seth replied. "Make yourself at home. I'll order some takeout for delivery once you've gotten settled." Then he turned to Nakia. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I won't be around much this week. We're all pulling longer shifts at the base in case of an emergency."

Nakia nodded soberly and hugged her uncle. "I understand. Please be safe."

Seth hugged her back. "No worries, kiddo." He pulled away and passed her a stack of takeout menus. "Here, figure out what you want for dinner and let me know when you guys are hungry."

Nakia took that as her cue and tugged Bryan's hand to get him to follow her up the stairs. He shouldered his duffle and followed dutifully to the second level, where a narrow hallway contained a series of doors leading to a linen closet, two bedrooms that shared a jack-and-jill bathroom, and Seth's bedroom and adjoining bathroom at the end of the hall. "Here's the guest room."

Bryan tossed his bag onto the floor and stretched out on the twin-sized bed with a grateful groan. "I miss the BBA private flights from the World Championships," Bryan muttered. "No screaming toddlers." Nakia giggled and sat on the edge of the bed, running her fingers through Bryan's hair. He closed his eyes in utter bliss and enjoyed her ministrations for a few minutes. "So, it's just you and your uncle, huh?"

"Mhmm…" Nakia replied softly, which made Bryan crack open one eye. She looked unusually distant. "He was my dad's younger brother, but they had a large enough age gap that people usually mistake us for siblings. He works on the local air force base and isn't around much, but he took off early today because he wanted to meet you."

Which totally explained the pristine state of the kitchen, as Bryan later learned once the takeout guy arrived with their dinner. In fact, the entire house appeared entirely too orderly and sparse of decorations, with no family pictures or decorations that one would normally associate with a family home. The furniture consisted of secondhand pieces chosen for comfort and practicality over aesthetics. Of course, Seth probably didn't think much about interior design, being in the military. They sat around the small table in the eat-in kitchen and ate pizza while exchanging small talk. Bryan didn't ask any further questions about Nakia's family, though a faint twinge of curiosity forced its way through his sleep-deprived senses.

By the time Nakia started gathering the paper plates and clearing the table, Bryan could barely keep his eyes open. Lack of sleep combined with the Cairo heat made him feel almost feverish with exhaustion, and he nearly slurred his words as he spoke. "Hey, I'm really sorry, Nakia, but I've got to crash." He stood up and kissed the top of her head. "I'll see you in the morning." And then he turned and went upstairs without another word.

Seth and Nakia watched him go with equally puzzled expressions, and then Seth turned concerned eyes to his niece. "I know you told me he was quiet, but I figured he would at least act a little happier to see you."

Nakia struggled to keep the hurt feelings out of her voice as she responded, "Don't worry, he's just tired from the trip. I'm sure he'll be fine once he gets some sleep."

'I hope…'

 **Moscow, Russia**

"Eri, if you keep pacing like this, you're going to wear a hole in the carpet," Tala stated matter-of-factly. "Why don't you sit down and try to relax?"

"I can't," Eri shot back, her voice quavering with nerves. "Every time I try, I just can't sit still." And it was true. Her family was scheduled to arrive today, and Eri had been a nervous wreck ever since morning. After tossing and turning in Tala's arms all night, during which neither of them got much sleep, Eri had tried to pass the time by cleaning the house, tinkering with her Beyblade, and pacing circles around the living room. Pyrix had long since given up on trying to talk some sense into her mistress and had retreated to her bit chip for some peace and quiet.

"Did Mr. Dickenson say when their flight arrived?" Tala asked, ever the rational one.

"Not since he texted me to say that the snowstorm caused delays at the airport. It could be any min-" At that moment, the doorbell chimed, and Eri's words died on her tongue. "That…must be them…"

"Hey, it's going to be okay," Tala tried to reassure her, kissing her softly on the forehead. "Let's go meet your family."

Eri opened the door with trembling hands, and almost immediately, a set of arms latched around her neck in a fierce embrace. "Oh my goodness…" a woman's sobbing voice began, "…I never thought I would see you again…"

At first Eri was too stunned to speak, move, or even register who was touching her, but another voice, this one a man, gently cleared his throat to get their attention. "Yes…of course…" The woman pulled away, and Eri gazed upon her biological mother for the first time in her life. She was shorter than Eri, maybe about 5'5", with a petite, fit frame and blonde wavy hair. She looked remarkably young for a mother to a 19-year-old daughter, with only the slightest beginnings of lines around her eyes.

Before Eri could survey the remaining people, Mr. Dickenson diplomatically cleared his throat. "Ahem…it's good to see you again, Eri. Please allow me to make some introductions. This is Lenora," he waved his hand to indicate the blonde woman, "and Ivan Kiryakov." Ivan, Eri's father, stood in stark contrast to his wife at well over six feet tall, with dark curly hair and broad, well-muscled shoulders. He also looked young, certainly not much older than Lenora. Despite his imposing figure, his eyes looked suspiciously on the verge of tears. "And their other children, Myka and Anton," Mr. Dickenson finished. According to Mr. Dickenson, Myka was thirteen, and she took strongly after Lenora with her hair color and stature. She also clearly loved the color pink, as her pixie-cut hair had pink tips and she wore a glaringly bright pink goose down parka. She also looked like she would rather be anywhere else than standing on Eri's doorstep, with her arms crossed over her chest and hip cocked to one side. Eight-year-old Anton, on the other hand, was grinning like a kid on Christmas day and waved up at Eri underneath a mop of tousled brown hair.

"U-um…it's…good to meet you," Eri stammered. "I'm Eri," she began and instantly kicked herself for stating the obvious, "and this is Tala." Tala, for his part, remained a solid, reassuring presence at Eri's back but reached out to shake her father's hand. "Please come in." Lenora fussed and dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief as she and her family came inside, leaving Eri on the porch with Mr. Dickenson. "Won't you stay?" Eri asked, silently pleading with her eyes.

"As much as I wish I could, I must return to the BBA headquarters in Japan," Mr. Dickenson replied. "After months of searching, we finally got a lead on Alannah's whereabouts."

Eri's eyebrows shot up, and she grasped at the conversation opportunity. "Really? I didn't realize she was missing."

"She was supposed to remain in our custody for a short time, but she vanished shortly after the World Championships. I've had every BBA embassy on the lookout, and she was finally spotted boarding a plane to Ireland with Brooklyn."

Now that got Eri's attention. "Brooklyn, you say? If that's the case I wouldn't worry about her too much. She's a legal adult now, right?"

"True, but I'll feel better once we get confirmation that she's safe. After that, I'll stay out of her business." Mr. Dickenson tipped his hat in farewell. "Take care, Eri, and I hope this visit goes well."

'Believe me, so do I,' Eri thought as she closed the door and rejoined the group in the living room. Tala had deliberately picked a spot on the loveseat, forcing Ivan and Lenora to sit across from him on the couch while Myka and Anton gathered on the nearby armchair and ottoman. They were carrying on small pleasantries as Eri took a seat beside Tala, grateful for his presence but unsure of what to say.

Ivan broke the silence first, speaking in a deep baritone. "It's been a long time, Eri. I'm glad to see that you look well."

"Um…thank you," Eri replied, forcing herself to meet her parents' eyes. "I'm sorry, but I'm…not sure what to say."

"That's all right, dear," Lenora replied. "You must have a million questions, so please ask us anything that's on your mind."

"Hey, hey, Eri!" Anton picked that exact moment to run over, clearly already bored with the gravity of the conversation and quivering with restless energy. "Mr. Dickenson said you're a championship beyblader! Is it true?! Can you teach me?"

"Anton," Ivan began sternly. "I told you to let us talk first, and then you can ask your sister about beyblading."

"But Papa!"

"Myka, can you please take your brother for a few minutes?" Ivan requested of his other daughter, who was tinkering with the buttons of her cell phone.

The girl rolled her eyes, sighed gustily, and grabbed Anton's hand. "Come on, squirt." Tala gave the two directions to the upstairs guest rooms, and Anton protested the entire time as Myka dragged him upstairs. Eri couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow as she noticed how Myka kept staring at Tala out of the corner of her eye before she disappeared with Anton.

Once the kids were upstairs, Lenora turned back to Eri and Tala. "Why don't we just take turns answering questions for now? Please, you go first."

"Um…sounds good," Eri replied. She thought for a moment but was at a loss. Did she ask the most important question right off the bat? Or did she wait and ask something simple first? She glanced desperately at Tala, who caught on quickly enough.

"Why don't you tell us what you do in Japan?" Tala began, trying to buy Eri some time.

"Ah, of course," Ivan interjected. "Well, I commute into Tokyo as a civil engineer, and Lenora works as a nurse in the suburbs near where Myka and Anton go to school."

Lenora nodded in confirmation, then proceeded with her question. "So…you both Beyblade, correct? Is that how you two met?"

"Yes," Eri replied. "Our teams were rivals in the last World Championship, but we got to know each other as we traveled between countries for each round of the tournament."

This exchange continued for the next several minutes as Eri exchanged small talk with her parents. Part of her waited for them to make the first move to discuss the topic that she knew was at the front of everyone's minds. After all, they were the ones that abandoned her, so why shouldn't they approach it first? Her annoyance grew until she finally reached the breaking point. "Enough." She pinned Ivan and Lenora with a hard stare. " _Why?_ " She conveyed as much meaning with that one word as the entire previous conversation, and her parents both glanced toward the ground. "Do you have any idea what happened to me after you decided I wasn't worth raising? Why did you have me in the first place? Why give me to an orphanage? Why go and have more children after that?" Her voice continued to rise until her vision blurred. "Just…why?" she ended in a whisper. Tala wrapped his arm around her shoulders and silently drew her against his side.

Lenora began weeping silently again, and Ivan cleared his throat before meeting Eri's eyes again. "We've…asked ourselves the same questions for the past nineteen years, and the truth is, we don't have any excuse that you would probably accept. We met in high school here in Moscow, made some reckless decisions, and found out you were on the way during our senior year."

"At first I wanted to end the pregnancy," Lenora continued. "After all, it's not uncommon here in Russia. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. I also knew that I couldn't…that we couldn't…provide for a child when we were broke and about to go to college. We fought a lot during the pregnancy and broke up, and I gave you up for adoption at birth in hopes that you would have a better life with a proper family." Lenora wiped at her eyes again. "I regret that decision to this day. It was a closed adoption, so I had no idea that you wound up at an orphanage or that wretched place in America."

Ivan picked up where his wife left off. "We reconnected a couple of years later and decided to start fresh in a new country. Shortly after I finished engineering school, a new company in Tokyo opened and was desperate for engineers, so they helped us navigate the strict immigration laws. We've been there ever since. We had Myka and Anton a few years later and never thought our paths would cross with yours until Mr. Dickenson reached out to us."

Eri sat in silence for a long moment, staring at her clenched fists and refusing to meet her parents' eyes. Her emotions were in turmoil. She felt relief at finally knowing the truth, anger over their decision to give her away, and a small touch of resentment that they had formed a perfect little family without her. "Eri, we just want to make things right and get to know you after all these years," Lenora said, reaching over to grasp one of Eri's hands. The simple touch brought her back to the present, and Eri subconsciously pulled her hand away and stood up. "Eri? What are you-?"

"I…need some space. Need to think," Eri stammered. At Tala's questioning gaze, Eri nodded, and he stood up as well. "I'll…talk to you in the morning. Make yourselves comfortable." Tala began to follow her upstairs.

"Wait…where are you going?" Lenora stammered, as though desperate for any conversation to hold Eri's attention. "Is Tala staying too? That hardly seems proper. Does he stay here often?" Maternal disapproval underscored her words.

Eri abruptly halted mid-step and turned to pin her mother with a piercing glare. "You lost the right to dictate my life the day you decided I wasn't worth raising." Then she spun on her heel and dashed up the stairs. Tala gave Lenora an apologetic look before following at a more sedate pace. Once they were alone in her room, Eri sagged onto the bed, dropped her face into her hands, and shook with barely restrained sobs. Tala could only hold her and try to whisper soft reassurances in her ears until she finally passed out in his arms in the middle of the night.

 **Osaka, Japan**

Spencer had forgotten how claustrophobic Japan made him feel. He towered over most of the surrounding crowds by at least a head, and his blocky stature and blond hair drew multiple curious gazes. The people of Osaka were certainly polite, but Japan's immigration laws meant that most foreigners were temporary tourists.

Fortunately, Hina guided him smoothly through the crowds as they navigated the downtown areas filled with food stalls and restaurants, salespeople hawking their wares to the occasional tourist, and the organized rush of the public transportation system. As their last metro leg headed for the outskirts of Osaka, Spencer and Hina finally found seats on the train to catch up on recent events. Hina kept her hands folded politely in her lap, mindful of the curious glances from the other metro riders. For his part, Spencer ached to pull his girlfriend onto his lap or even hold her hand but respected her cultural norms to avoid unnecessary PDA.

The pair exited the metro into a much quieter part of town, just beyond the hustle and bustle of the city center but not quite in the suburbs. Hina led them a few blocks down the street and stopped in front of a sizeable property surrounded by a privacy fence and her family's surname on the name plate.

"Huh, this reminds me a little bit of Tyson's grandpa's dojo," Spencer observed.

Hina abruptly laughed. "Funny you should mention that. I bumped into him and Kenny shortly after returning from last year's World Championships. It turns out I've lived across town from them for my whole life and never knew it."

A high fence surrounded a central courtyard, around which wrapped a large, traditional Japanese house, or minka. Hina opened the sliding door and let Spencer into the _genkan_ , or the entrance hall. At her prompting, they removed their shoes and donned house slippers that sat conveniently against the wall.

Hina led Spencer through a maze-like series of hallways partitioned into various rooms by thick _fusuma_ sliding doors and thin shoji walls. Thick, springy tatami mats covered the floors and gave the air a distinct, clean odor. As they walked, Spencer noted a handful of middle-aged women and men in uniforms who tended the landscaping in the courtyard, cleaned the floors, or worked in the kitchen. The obvious wealth on display surprised Spencer. Hina had never mentioned it during any of their conversations, and Spencer could not imagine any of BIOVOLT's agents kidnapping her from such a secure estate.

So how had she wound up in Xhaiden's training facility?

Finally they stopped before a closed, ornate _fusuma_ door. Hina knocked gently on the door frame, and a deep male voice said, "You may come in."

Hina opened the door, stepped through the threshold, and bowed deeply in respect to the two men kneeling formally on the floor. "Father. Elder brother." She stepped forward and gestured between Spencer and her family. "This is my father, Akiyama Kisho, and my elder brother, Akiyama Taro."

Spencer followed Hina's example and bowed before kneeling beside her to face the two men. "I'm Spencer Petrov. Please excuse the intrusion, and thank you for allowing me into your home."

Kisho and Taro initially regarded Spencer in silence for several long moments. Kisho, Hina's father, sat in the middle of the room, with Taro slightly behind him at his right hand. Kisho's facial features made it difficult to guess his exact age, but he appeared to be in the late prime of his life, with hardly a gray hair on his head. Taro looked to be in his mid-twenties, and Spencer recalled Hina's brief references to her brother over the phone, who had recently graduated university and was training as their father's successor.

But successor to what, exactly?

"Well, this is quite the unexpected surprise," Kisho began, his expression impossible to read. "Spencer Petrov, from the Blitzkrieg Boys, I presume? You represented Russia in the last Beyblade World Championships."

"Y-yes sir," Spencer stammered, unsure how to respond. What else could one say to something like that?

Kisho didn't give Spencer time to ponder his next sentence, as his gaze turned to Hina, who flinched beneath his piercing expression. "Hina, when you told me you wished to introduce me to a young man, you neglected to tell me that he was a Beyblader."

"I know, but…"

"I had hoped that you were seeing someone from school. Someone," Kisho narrowed his eyes, "with a future ahead of him."

"Father!" Hina cried in horror. Even Taro, who had maintained an air of careful neutrality, looked taken aback by the sudden display of rudeness.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Petrov," Kisho stated with an air of finality. "While I acknowledge the trouble and expense you took in traveling from Russia, I simply cannot condone this relationship. I will arrange for appropriate accommodations at a nearby hotel and any transfer fees so you can rearrange your flight."

"But, Father! You can't…"

"Hina!" Kisho snapped, and Hina flinched, squeezing her eyes shut and clenching her fists in her lap to keep the tears from falling. "I can, and I just did." Kisho stood and looked down at Spencer. "I will have one of my assistants escort you into town. That is all."

Spencer's eyes widened in horror, and he was too frozen in shock to do more than glance sideways at his trembling girlfriend.

'What in the world is happening…?'

* * *

Ta-da! Another cliffhanger! Please don't kill me for the super long wait, and I'll try to be more vigilant about updates. Reviews are always appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4: Symbols of Fate

Time to address some cliffhangers from the last chapter! As we get into more of the plot, I probably won't check in with each and every character during each chapter. There's just too big of a cast to do that and keep all the intertwining plots in line. This chapter focuses on Eri and Tala, Hina and Spencer, and…well, I'll leave the last one for a surprise!

Don't worry, we'll get back to Kai/Sonja and Bryan/Nakia soon!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. I also can't mimic Tyson's grandpa's weird English dub slang to save my life…

* * *

 **Moscow, Russia**

The metallic clang of pots and pans quickly brought Eri to full wakefulness, and she momentarily panicked at the sound of voices coming from downstairs before remembering that she and Tala weren't alone in the house.

Speaking of Tala, the Russian blader stirred behind her and gave a slow, lazy stretch, his arm tightening slightly to pull her back against his chest. "What's wrong?" Then he paused and lifted his head to sniff the air. "Do I smell bacon?"

Eri craned her head around to roll her eyes at her boyfriend. "You are such a guy."

Ten minutes later, Eri descended the stairs to the kitchen to find the space turned into a domesticated warzone with a griddle and waffle maker as the weapons of choice. "Oh, Eri! You're awake early," Lenora chirped. "I figured you would sleep in a little after all the excitement from yesterday."

"I'm a morning person," Eri deadpanned. She peered around her mother into the doorway leading to the living room. The entire space had been dusted, vacuumed, and de-cluttered. The faint scent of furniture polish hung in the air, leading Eri to believe that the entire house had received similar treatment.

"Well then you're just in time!" Lenora continued. "I've got a fresh pot of coffee," she waved at the coffee maker while moving to the stove. "The bacon is nice and crispy, and I have waffle batter ready for when everyone is hungry. Oh, how do you like your eggs? Myka and Anton like traditional Japanese omelettes, but I didn't want to make any assumptions."

Eri just stared at the scene, dumbfounded, and Tala thankfully chose his moment to come in behind her, eyes widening for a different reason. "Wow, this is quite a spread," he remarked, gazing at the bacon with undisguised longing. He glanced over at Eri. "I didn't know you even had a waffle maker."

"It was Mr. Dickenson's idea of a house warming present. I've never used it," Eri remarked before turning back to her mother. "Where did all this food come from, anyway?"

"Oh, I was already awake and thought I would make breakfast, and there was this convenient little market just around the corner," Lenora replied. "Your father is in the living room, and the kids are downstairs, I think. You two help yourselves, and I'll call for everyone else in just a minute."

Lenora bustled out of the kitchen, and Eri could have sworn she left a trail of flour in her wake from the waffle batter. Still shell-shocked, she peered curiously in the fridge to find it completely stocked with fresh meats, vegetables, and other healthy foods that she had no idea how to prepare. A quick peek into the pantry revealed a similar state of order, with an entire shelf devoted to spices and other cooking staples.

"I died," Eri deadpanned. "This is either the afterlife or some alternate universe." She turned to see Tala in the middle of inhaling a piece of bacon. He paused mid-bite and met her glare guiltily.

"I…uh…didn't want it to get cold."

"Say one word about my cooking, and you're dead."

"Yes ma'am."

 **Osaka, Japan**

'What am I going to do now?'

Spencer idly strolled the streets of Osaka with no particular destination in mind. After yesterday's disastrous introduction to Hina's father, a harried-looking housekeeper had escorted him from the property, shoved a bundle of cash into his hands, and given him the address to a hotel near the airport and an airline voucher. He had spent a restless night at the hotel, replaying the events in his mind and trying to figure out how to salvage the situation, but he hadn't come up with a strategy.

He had no intentions of leaving today, of course, and the money he had received, which he also did not plan on spending, was like a lead weight in his back pocket. But he also couldn't hide out of sight in the city without a plan either.

Abruptly, Spencer turned the corner and collided with another body, which was just further evidence of how distracted he was. He stumbled briefly, caught himself with a hand on the nearest building, and started to say, "I'm sorry. I jus-Tyson?!"

"Whoa, it's Spencer!" the three-time Beyblade World Champion exclaimed. Tyson stumbled back in surprise and nearly crashed into Max, Rei, Daichi, Kenny, and Hilary. "What are you doing here?"

"And where's the rest of your team?" Max asked curiously.

At that, Spencer glanced to the side and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well… I'm here by myself, and it's kind of a long story."

Hilary's female intuition kicked into gear. "You don't look well, Spencer. We were just going to grab lunch. Want to join?"

"Y-yeah…sure…"

Spencer felt a little awkward joining the hyperactive group, but it was better than wandering the streets alone. Two hours later, they found themselves seated comfortably at Tyson's grandpa's dojo as Spencer told them the entire story.

"Wait…you and Hina are dating?" Daichi asked in disbelief.

Hilary groaned. "Are you kidding, Daichi? How could you not know?!"

"Hey, it's not my fault! I'm no good with that kind of stuff!"

"Actually…uh…I didn't know either," Tyson admitted, laughing in embarrassment.

Rei and Max sighed in unison. Tyson was absolutely clueless about relationships, and they considered it a small miracle that Hilary still put up with his antics. "That's a rough situation," Rei stated, giving Spencer a sympathetic look. "I mean, Lee was pretty protective when I started dating Mariah, but even he chilled out pretty quickly when he saw that we were so happy together."

"Speaking of which," Spencer interjected, "I'm surprised you and Max are here instead of training with your teams."

Max grinned. "Oh, we've put in plenty of training, but we wanted to spend some time back here in Japan with Tyson and our other friends too."

"Anyway, back to the issue at hand," Kenny stated. "What are you going to do now, Spencer?"

"Yeah, what Hina's father did is just downright cruel," Hilary agreed.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Spencer replied, crossing his arms and looking down in thought. "I can't just leave things as they are and go back home."

"Hey, I know!" Everyone turned in unison to stare at Tyson. "Spencer, why don't you stay here for a while?" Spencer blinked in silence. "This place isn't too far from Hina's house, so maybe you guys can figure out how to meet up and talk things out with her dad."

"Tyson, I'm shocked," Rei deadpanned. "You said something about relationships that makes sense."

"Darn right!" Tyson cheered, then paused as he processed the vague insult. "Hey!"

Hilary shoved Tyson's head to the ground before he could continue his tirade, and Kenny added, "It's not a bad idea. Hina's father can't keep her confined to the house 24/7, and he thinks you left the country. What do you say, Spencer?"

"I…guess I have no choice." Spencer forced a small smile. "Thanks, Tyson."

The gratitude cheered Tyson immensely, and he replied with a grin, "No problem!"

"Yeah, this will be fun!" Daichi cheered, pumping a fist in the air. "Maybe we can even figure out some of the Blitzkrieg Boys' secret strategies before the next World Championships!"

Spencer fought back a grimace. 'Maybe this wasn't the best idea…'

Before the conversation could devolve into chaos, Tyson's grandpa abruptly entered the dojo. "Hey, Tyson! Some sharp-dressed business dude is looking for your homeboy Spencer!"

"Eh…what?" Tyson stammered. Then a familiar young man stepped into the hallway behind Tyson's grandpa.

Spencer shot to his feet and resisted the urge to clench his fists. "Taro?"

Daichi pointed at the stranger. "Hey! Isn't that the mean older brother tha-" Hilary and Kenny practically throttled Daichi in unison to keep him from finishing his sentence.

Hina's brother stepped past Tyson's grandpa and approached Spencer, his expression oddly subdued, his gaze refusing to make eye contract. "Mr. Petrov, I know I have no right to ask this, but…" he abruptly bowed deeply from the waist down in a show of humility, "please, forgive my father."

Rei and Max quickly gauged the seriousness of the situation and shooed everyone out of the room to give Spencer and Taro a chance to speak in private. The two men sat kneeling on the dojo floor across from each other as the silence stretched. Finally, Spencer couldn't take it anymore. "Why did you come here, Taro, and how did you track me down?"

"I didn't think it would work, but I secretly paid off one of our housekeepers to follow you when you left the hotel this morning. When she texted and said you were still here, it gave me hope."

"Hope for what?" Spencer prompted.

"That you hadn't given up on my little sister," Taro finished, glancing away self-consciously.

"Of course, I wouldn't give up on her," Spencer stated adamantly. "I love her, but I also don't want to make her choose between me and her family." He paused, then continued, "That being said, she has barely said anything about her family despite all the phone conversations we've had over the past few months."

"Honestly, I'm not surprised." Taro looked as though he were considering something, then nodded as though making up his mind. "Let me show you something." He reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and passed a color photo to Spencer. "This is our family crest on display at home. We call them Kamon here in Japan, and they were the symbols of the Japanese samurai. Anything look familiar?"

Spencer's eyes widened in recognition. The circular Kamon symbol had been meticulously chiseled and sculpted from ceramic clay and was shaped like a stylized eagle. "It's Arashi…"

Taro nodded. "This wall plaque of the Akiyama Kamon has been passed down in our family for hundreds of years, and we've always considered it a symbol of luck and prosperity. When Hina was eleven, she was playing with a Beyblade in the courtyard, like so many of her classmates back in the day, and suddenly the Kamon lit up with light blue energy that manifested as Arashi. We had no idea a sacred spirit lived in the Kamon, but he took up residence in Hina's Beyblade. Our family saw it as a good omen and celebrated, and Father's business prospered."

Spencer waited for the other shoe to drop. "But…"

Taro grimaced. "Hina went to an exclusive prep school at the time, and her class did a special field trip over summer vacation to tour the national parks in the United States. She took her Beyblade, of course, and our mother even volunteered as one of the chaperones." His face grew distant. "You can guess what happened next."

"Xhaiden's agents found out about her bit beast and kidnapped her."

"It was our worst fear come to life. One day she was here, and the next she was gone from her hotel room. Her roommate had been drugged to sleep and had no memory of the incident. Mother was beside herself in hysterics that something like that could have happened under her nose, and Father nearly threw his business into bankruptcy by hiring private investigators and armed security to search for her. Mother pushed herself too hard, caught the flu, and died from pneumonia in an American hospital. Father and I never got to say goodbye."

"I'm…so sorry…" Spencer whispered, not sure what else to say.

"Father sank into a deep depression and let the business flounder. His investors pulled their funds, and we nearly lost everything. But then, three years later, the police showed up at our doorstep out of the blue and said they had received word from America that she had turned up with three other girls who were also reported missing under mysterious circumstances."

"I take it that's when the Temporal Knights escaped?"

"Right, and I still don't know how they managed it," Taro replied. "Hina came back home, and I barely recognized her as the same happy little girl I had watched grow up. She was quiet, distant, and reserved, but she clearly had bonded with the other girls on her team. We were practically ordered into family counseling, and the therapists said that the best thing we could do is give her the freedom to continue Beyblading if she wanted. Father thought it was insane, but Hina said she needed to reestablish some control over her own life after having her choices taken away for so long. She had loved Beyblading before being kidnapped, and she wanted to take it back on her terms with Arashi and her teammates. Father relented, and he hoped she would grow out of it as she got older. But…" Taro trailed off momentarily. "When she got so badly injured during last year's tournament, that was the last straw. Father snapped and all but wrapped her in cotton, and he's tried to keep her too busy with cram school and afterschool clubs to think about Beyblading."

Taro finally stopped talking, and Spencer mulled over everything he had heard. Taro spread his hands helplessly. "I've told you everything I know. I don't agree with Father's actions, but as his successor, I have to watch what I say and do in front of his business partners and investors."

Spencer pinned Taro with a challenging expression. "So is that all you came to say? To explain why your father has acted cruelly and bail out of even trying to make it right?"

Taro flinched. He deserved that accusation. "No, I want to help you, but more importantly I want to help my sister. She was awake all night crying and has been miserable today. I needed to know if you were still in town first, and I'll try and work it out so you two can meet up and talk without Father interfering."

Spencer pondered Taro's words for a moment and then held out his hand. "So, what did you have in mind?"

Taro grinned fiercely and shook Spencer's hand.

 **Dublin, Ireland**

The intercom system on the airplane crackled to life as the captain instructed the passengers to secure their tray tables and prepare for landing. After such a long flight, a lethargic energy suffused the cabin as the passengers slowly stirred to comply.

It certainly wasn't the first time that Brooklyn Kingston had gone through this ritual over the past few months, which left him plenty of mental energy to focus on his travel companion. "Did you hear that?" he asked with his typical carefree smile. "We're about to land, Alannah."

The young woman next to him barely stirred in response to his words and simply continued staring mindlessly out the window, her chin propped on one hand. Her dark blonde hair hung limply past her shoulders, her green eyes were dull and lifeless, and she had lost most of the muscle tone she had sported only months before. Alannah Shevlin had, simply put, withered since the World Championships.

Of all Xhaiden's recruits, Alannah had arguably suffered the most. He had wanted to determine the effects of free will on battle performance and had created Nithhogr, an artificial bit beast modeled after a five-headed Hydra. He had bound Nithhogr's mind to Alannah's during childhood, effectively possessing her and stripping away her free will. As a result, Alannah had grown up as a sadistic competitor who gleefully accepted pain, dished it out in battle, and attacked the blader as well as the Beyblade. During the World Championships, Alannah had ambushed Brooklyn outside of the tournament and put him in the hospital to keep him from competing with his team.

During her last battle against Sonja in the semi-finals, the Greek blader's dragon bit beast Lunash had destroyed Nithhogr to save his mistress' life. With his corruptive influence gone, Alannah could suddenly think for herself and feel emotions for the first time in years, and she was relearning those skills from the ground up. In an ironic twist of fate, Brooklyn had rescued her from Xhaiden, whisked her away from the BBA headquarters in Japan, and had spent the past seven months traveling across Europe with her to show her that life existed outside of the Beyblade stadium and hopefully help her reconnect with her emotions.

Alannah hadn't been the easiest travel companion, and initially her emotions had been volatile with none of the mental inhibitors that children typically developed while young. On any given day, she would alternate between outbursts of rage, hysterical laughter, and gut-wrenching sobs as each suppressed emotion fought to make itself known. During the first month, she woke up nearly every night screaming from night terrors, and she bore perpetual dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. Eventually the extreme, volatile emotions gave way as she retreated into herself, hiding behind mental barriers that her mind hastily constructed to protect itself, and most days she barely spoke two sentences to Brooklyn.

Brooklyn, for his part, had been endlessly patient with Alannah, and nothing seemed to rattle the carefree personality that belied his genius intellect. He talked her down from her fits of rage, laughed with her when she dissolved into endless giggles for no reason, and held her through the emotional breakdowns. When she woke screaming and drenched in a cold sweat from the night terrors, he was always at her bedside to bring her back to reality with softly spoken words and gentle caresses through her hair.

Even now, in Alannah's perpetual state of silence, she still heard what he said and went along with his travel plans without complaint. So far, they had backpacked part of the Swiss Alps, attended Oktoberfest in Munich, toured the cathedrals in Rome, and visited the historical and artistic wonders of Paris and London. Now Brooklyn had decided to bring her back to her homeland of Ireland, to the city where she had been born, in hopes of finding something that could help her connect with her past.

Somehow, a bond had formed between them, as lopsided as it was, and Brooklyn felt oddly responsible for the woman under his protection.

Finally, the plane touched down on the runway and taxied to the airport, and passengers flooded the aisles at the captain's signals, jockeying to access the overhead compartments and exit as quickly as possible. Brooklyn waited until the worst of the crowd had dispersed to pull out his and Alannah's carry-ons. He handed over her backpack and stepped into the aisle first, holding out his hand. "Welcome back to Dublin, Alannah. You ready?"

Wordlessly, Alannah turned to Brooklyn with a blank expression, but she still reached out to take his hand, just as she did every time he offered.

Brooklyn smiled. It was such a small act of courage, but one he always allowed her to make. As long as she kept reaching out, he still hoped that, one day, the words and emotions would follow.

 **Moscow, Russia**

"Tala," Ian began slowly, "why is Eri in our kitchen?"

"She's stress-baking," Tala deadpanned.

"Um…what?" Now Ian just looked confused.

Tala explained, "Eri's family wanted to go shopping today." Ian cringed in sympathy. "Apparently, she doesn't cope well with a young sister who wants to play on her phone all day, an even younger brother who wants to talk about Beyblading, and a doting mother who wants to update her wardrobe." It was a minor miracle she hadn't used Pyrix to set the dressing room on fire. "After we got back, Eri polled each of her teammates on their preferred method of stress relief." He ticked off each response on his fingers. "Sonja suggested kick boxing. Nakia said she should run long distances. Hina thought baking would be more constructive, so here we are." Eri had made up some lame excuse about needing to address a work emergency and that she should stay at Tala's place tonight since it was closer to the Beyblade shop.

"And you're in here because…?" Ian began.

As if on cue, the sound of pans hitting the floor preceded a string of especially colorful Russian curses. The scent of burning food reached their noses.

"I…like staying alive," Tala replied dryly.

"And I like food that doesn't take like charcoal," Ian groused.

Then the smoke alarm went off, followed by more cursing. "I can hear you, you know! Quit gabbing and help me!" Eri shouted.

"I'll get the fire extinguisher," Ian said quickly, leaving Tala to deal with the chaos in the kitchen and his disgruntled girlfriend.

Tala's head dropped into his hands with a groan. It was going to be a long week…

* * *

I figured I would sandwich the serious stuff in between some humor. I'm so excited to finally tell Brooklyn and Alannah's story after hinting to it in the last story.

In the next chapter, we'll check in with Kai and Bryan. Please let me know what you think by leaving a review! I don't want to write to a nonexistent audience!


	5. Chapter 5: Playing Tourist

**Author's Note:** Time for a longer chapter! Thank you so much to my readers who didn't give up on me during my long hiatus. I had almost decided to retire completely from fanfiction, but this story has been itching to be written and wouldn't give up on me either.

I've temporarily downgraded the rating on this story to T. Apparently, this site's default is to only show stories rated K-T unless you change the filters, which means this story wasn't showing up when you browse the recently updated Beyblade fics. This story will contain darker and/or mature themes as we get further into the plot, but there won't be any explicit sex scenes or profanity to merit a full M rating. Hopefully that will drum up some more reader traffic!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. But since I own Hina's father, I'll happily make him available for a tar-and-feather campaign.

 **Thessaloniki, Greece**

Sonja woke wrapped in warmth, and not just from the blankets. Kai's muscular arms wrapped around her body, holding her against his chest with her head resting on his naked shoulder. Memories came flooding back from the previous night, and she snuggled closer to press a small kiss against his skin. Kai sighed contentedly and rolled onto his side, pulling Sonja closer and tucking her head under his chin.

Sonja giggled softly. "Kai…I know you're not still asleep," she whispered.

Kai smirked slightly but still didn't open his eyes. "Who says?"

Feeling suddenly playful, Sonja poked his sides and felt him flinch and stifle his laugh. "Apparently, you do, unless you've developed a talent for talking in your sleep."

"Hn." Kai cracked open one eye, smirked again, and suddenly rolled over, pinning Sonja beneath his body and making her squeal in surprise. Heat radiated deliciously from his bare chest, making Sonja's heart race and she arched against him.

The sudden intensity of Kai's gaze rendered Sonja speechless. She breathed his name, barely above a whisper, and Kai took her mouth in a passionate kiss. Immediately Sonja's arms wound around Kai's neck and pulled him closer until the full length of his body pressed against hers. His hand moved up to gently sweep a tendril of hair from her face as he deepened the kiss to stifle her soft moans of pleasure.

Just as Sonja was thinking about asking for a repeat of the night's activities, a familiar voice called from downstairs: "Sonja, honey! Kai! Are you awake? Breakfast is ready!" The floorboards creaked ominously as they moved closer to the stairs.

Kai and Sonja's eyes flew open in unison, and Sonja cursed under her breath as Kai practically flew off the bed, sparing a second of concentration to tap his finger against her lips in a gesture of silence. Within seconds he yanked on the sweatpants he had discarded and left on the floor, gave Sonja one last, brief kiss, and vanished silently back into the guest room across the hall.

Sonja had maintained enough foresight to lay out her clothes the night before, and she had just finished dressing and raking her fingers hastily through her hair as Cloris stepped onto the landing leading to the bedrooms. She opened her door and leaned against the frame, trying to appear casual. "Good morning, Grandmother!" she chirped merrily. "You're up early!"

In her mind's eye, Sonja received the distinct impression of Lunash rolling his eyes. _'Smooth, mistress. Real smooth…'_

' _Oh shut it,'_ Sonja shot back.

Cloris, bless her soul, was happily oblivious to Sonja's slightly flustered expression. "I wanted to make sure you two had a good breakfast before you spent the day sightseeing," she replied with a smile that only a doting grandmother could make.

"Well, I was just about to see if Kai's awake." Sonja stepped across the hall and knocked on the door. "Kai, you hear that?"

As if on cue, the door opened, revealing Kai in his usual clothes and looking as composed as ever. "Sounds like a plan. Thanks, Cloris."

"My pleasure, dear!" Cloris bustled back down the stairs, and Kai and Sonja shared an amused glance, like two conspirators who had just pulled off an epic heist.

Lunash, still disgruntled from having to share his mistress' head space last night, grumbled, _'You have absolutely no poker face.'_

* * *

Sonja burst into uncontrollable giggles the moment she and Kai were out of sight of her house, and she laughed until she gasped for breath and tears rolled down her cheeks. "Oh…my gosh…can you believe…we…pulled that off?!" Lunash grumbled something incoherent about hormones and corrupting his mistress' virtue, which sent her into titters all over again. She held onto Kai's arm with both hands to keep from falling onto her knees.

Not even Kai could contain his sense of humor, and he laughed right along with her for a few moments before composing himself. "I thought I was a dead man at first."

"Me too!" Sonja frantically gasped for air and clutched her stomach, which now ached from laughing so hard, and forced herself to regain composure.

Kai turned a fond look to his girlfriend and smiled warmly. "It's good to see you like this."

"Like what?" Sonja asked, tilting her head to one side.

"Happy, and…" Kai trailed off, looking for the right word, "open, I suppose. This is the first time I've seen you express your emotions so openly."

Sonja's gaze softened, and she leaned into Kai's chest as his arms immediately closed around her. "I have you to thank for that," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist and clinging tightly. "I haven't felt this happy since…I don't know…"

Before Sonja could lose herself in unpleasant memories, Kai pressed a kiss into her hair and said, "Let's keep the momentum going, then. Where to first?" Sonja grinned happily, took his hand, and set off towards the metro.

Sonja had spent her childhood and the past few years since leaving Xhaiden's Abbey in Thessaloniki, so she had often taken the city's rich history, museums, and monuments for granted. As the day passed, however, she felt like she was seeing her home with newfound wonder as she and Kai played tourist. They beheld the architectural splendor of the Hagia Sophia orthodox church, ate lunch at a waterfront café in Aristotelous Square, toured the monuments at the Arch of Galerius, and beheld the entire city from a bird's eye view at the top of the White Tower of Thessaloniki. Sonja even managed to sweet-talk Kai into letting a passing family borrow her phone to take their photo as a memento. Well, it was either that or a selfie, which Kai refused to do on principle.

As the afternoon waned into evening, Kai observed a subtle change in the demographics of the people on the street. More high school and college-age youths started flooding the streets, presumably as classes ended for the day. Men and women of legal drinking age started populating the local bars and cafes, while kids a few years younger than Kai and Sonja crowded the square to hang out or buy snacks from the local vendors. A small group even played with Beyblades.

"Sonja."

"Hm?" Sonja replied, tilting her head back to regard Kai's inquisitive expression.

He tensed initially, unsure how best to phrase his question. "Is your school on spring break?"

"My school?" Sonja surveyed the crowds around her and understood what he was saying. "Oh!" She looked away at first to hide the self-conscious blush on her cheeks. She started to pull her hand out of Kai's grip, but he gently squeezed her fingers to remind her of his presence. Kai sensed her beginning to withdraw back into herself and silently cursed for asking such a question. "Well…by the time we escaped from Xhaiden, I didn't exactly have a well-balanced education and was pretty far behind in the typical school curriculum." She squeezed Kai's hand without thinking, and he shifted positions to tuck her under his arm as they walked. Sonja gratefully leaned against him for support. "I spent months in counseling to learn how to cope with normal life again, but I still couldn't handle a normal classroom environment. Instead, I took classes online and passed a proficiency test for my high school diploma."

"And what about now?" Kai asked carefully.

Sonja shrugged. "I haven't figured anything out yet. Right now, I'm the only one in my family with enough free time to help take care of Grandmother, but she's been telling me not to let her hold me back from pursuing my goals. I just…don't know what they are yet."

Kai understood some of her struggles. As the grandson of Voltaire and only apparent heir to his family's fortune, he had been subjected to an endless barrage of phone calls, emails, and solicitations from prospective financial advisors and lawyers over the past couple of years since turning 18. Some advisors thought it best to sell the remnants of Voltaire's disreputable business empire and start over, while others were simply sharks looking for an easy payout at Kai's expense. So far, he had used his status as a world-class blader to keep them at bay and had lived off his settlements from BIOVOLT, but he would have to face his grandfather's legacy sooner or later.

He decided to lighten the mood. "Well, when you figure it out, let me know your secrets." Sonja laughed abruptly, smiled genuinely at Kai, and stood on tiptoe to kiss him, which he returned with interest.

"Thanks, Kai."

 **Cairo, Egypt**

Bryan tip-toed down the hall and knocked lightly on the door to Nakia's bedroom. When he received no response, he slowly cracked open the door to survey the scene. Nakia had practically burrito-wrapped herself in the middle of a pile of soft, fluffy blankets, with barely the top of her head visible. Bryan grinned in amusement and crept closer. He could make out the outline of her arms under the blankets as she cuddled a pillow while curled onto her side. Nakia mumbled something incoherent in her sleep, stirred slightly, and sighed in contentment.

A huge grin cracked across Bryan's face, but he couldn't help it. The sight was too adorable.

Bryan carefully sat on the edge of the bed and poked at the mound of blankets. "Hey, Nakia."

"Mrrph…go 'way…" Nakia mumbled, burrowing until her head disappeared under the blankets.

Bryan stifled a laugh. Nakia wasn't kidding when she said she was a heavy sleeper. In fact, he found it hard to believe that she and her uncle were related, considering he had already left for the air force base long before dawn. Yanking off the covers was out of the question considering her stranglehold on them, and he did not want to risk a black eye in case she…uh…wasn't decent underneath. Instead, he went for the classic strategy for waking a heavy sleeper and tickled her.

Nakia instantly bucked and squealed, though it was muffled from the blankets, and she tore her way out of her cocoon and exclaimed, "Bryan! I'm gonna kill you!" But she was laughing too hard for her threat to carry any weight.

"Heh, sorry about that, but you were sleeping like the dead," Bryan replied. He gave Nakia a chance to catch her breath and remembered that he was sitting on her bed while she lay under the covers wearing sleep shorts and a thin tank top, which left little to the imagination.

"So…uh…" Bryan quickly turned his head away to hide the redness on his face, and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I wanted to…apologize for yesterday."

"Oh?" Nakia's expression sobered, and she sat up in bed to give Bryan a concerned look.

"Yeah…I was so dead on my feet from traveling here that I probably came off as a jerk. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"Bryan…" Nakia scooted closer to hug him, which he quickly returned, and give him a quick peck on the cheek. "It's okay. Are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah, definitely."

"Um…Bryan?" Nakia suddenly blushed and clutched the blankets tighter.

"Yeah?"

"…could you please leave so I can change?"

"Oh!" Bryan's pale skin turned scarlet, and he scrambled off the bed. "Sorry!" Falborg's teasing laughter echoed in his mind the entire time.

* * *

"I didn't think I'd come back here again," Bryan remarked as he and Nakia strolled through the open-air markets of Cairo hand-in-hand. Local vendors sold fresh produce, exquisite handmade fabrics and clothes, and all manner of souvenirs aimed at the hordes of wide-eyed tourists.

"That's right," Nakia recalled. "I keep forgetting that you came here for a leg of the Tag Team World Championships. How long ago was that?"

Bryan thought for a moment. "Almost two years. Funny how time flies."

"But everything turned out for the best," Nakia grinned. She was on top of the world right now. Two years ago, she was still trying to readjust to the outside world after escaping Xhaiden's Abbey. Now she was showing the sights of her hometown to the person she cared about the most.

As for Bryan, he had loosened up dramatically since he had last seen Nakia at the World Championships. They had stayed in contact over the past seven months via phone, email, and Skype and had spent hours just learning more about each other. They spoke little about their years in Boris and Xhaiden's Abbeys and instead focused on lighthearted topics like hobbies, Beyblade tournaments, and the years they had spent with their teams. Nakia was pleasantly surprised to find out that Bryan had a positively mischievous side when he and Ian put their heads together, and they apparently made it their collective goal to drive Tala crazy.

Their newly built rapport also meant that Bryan was less shy about physical touch since he and Nakia had last seen each other. He gladly held her hand in public and even paused once in a while to give her quick kiss on the forehead or lips, depending on how bold he felt.

They spent most of the morning touring the markets, and Nakia flitted among merchant stands much like a butterfly in a flower bed. She knew most of the regular merchants by name and made it her mission to introduce Bryan to all of her friends. After lunch, they drifted toward the outskirts of the city center into a less-crowded park, which gave Bryan some welcome relief from the incessant crowds.

They walked past a paved clearing in the park where a group of kids clustered around a Beydish, cheering as they watched a match in progress. One of them turned, pointed at Nakia and Bryan, and said something to his friends while gesturing excitedly. Suddenly the two were surrounding by youngsters who had, apparently, watched their teams during the last World Championships and were star-struck to see two world-class bladers in their midst.

"Hey! Hey! You're Bryan from the Blitzkrieg Boys!"

"We watched you on TV!"

"Nakia, I'm a huge fan of your team!"

"Are you competing in the next World Championships?"

"Bryan, have a Beybattle with us!"

"W-what?" Bryan stammered, nearly reeling back from the request. "Why would you want to do that?"

Nakia nudged him with her elbow. "Why not humor them?" Bryan gave her an indignant look, to which she simply laughed. "Not every battle has to be for some high-stakes tournament or to put a bad guy behind bars. You should have fun while blading too."

Bryan blinked in surprise. Beyblading had never been about fun for him. Sure, he enjoyed winning and being part of a championship team, and he valued his bond with Falborg. But he had grown up in Boris' Abbey and trained like a soldier who focused solely on winning. Victory was life, and those who didn't make the cut were cast out onto the streets or disappeared without a trace. For the homeless boys who had sought the Abbey to get off the streets, being sent away was practically a death sentence in itself.

And Bryan had never accepted a request to battle for fun. These kids weren't his enemies and didn't have enough skill to compete in even a novice-level tournament, so he had nothing to gain from battling them.

Bryan's ego, however, wouldn't allow him to turn down a challenge, and he certainly didn't want to lose face in front of Nakia, so he reluctantly agreed, which set off a round of cheers from the gathered children. He loaded Falborg onto his launcher and squared off across the dish from a wide-eyed, dark-haired little boy.

Nakia assumed the role of referee. "Ready? 3…2…1…"

"Let it rip!"

Bryan's face instinctively took on a fearsome expression, and he channeled his competitive drive into Falborg. His Beyblade immediately pelted his opponent with a series of wickedly hard, fast strikes from multiple angles, and he prepared to call for Falborg's special attack.

"Easy, Bryan," Nakia stage-whispered. "Remember that this is supposed to be fun."

Bryan's eyes widened, and he pulled back from an instinctive attack that would have shattered the kid's Beyblade. He had never truly enjoyed a Beybattle. They were a means to an end and a way to deal with one's opponents. So how was he supposed to enjoy it?

Without warning, two more Beyblades landed in the dish, one of which belonged to a young girl, and Uskadu deflected an attack to circle Falborg protectively. Bryan turned shocked eyes to Nakia, who simply grinned and said, "How about a tag team?" She turned back to her Beyblade, clearly having fun. "Go, Uskadu!" The great black cat emerged from his bit chip, like one of the Egyptian cat gods come to life, with golden armor protecting his chest. He roared his battle challenge, much to the awestruck cheers of the children who were watching.

"Do it, Falborg!" The mighty falcon soared from his bit chip with a shrill war cry and hovered above Uskadu, and the kids' cheers redoubled. The two Beyblades circled each other, feeding off each other's momentum to build speed and power, and dealt simultaneous slams that knocked their opponents' Beyblades harmlessly out of the dish.

Bryan kept a neutral expression but cringed inwardly as he recalled Falborg, waiting for the kids to burst into tears, pout, scream, or something of that nature. Instead, cheers of "So cool!" and "Wow! That was awesome!" assaulted his ears, and the entire group crowded closer, wanting an autograph, asking to shake his hand, or just wanting a look at his Beyblade.

Later, once Bryan and Nakia managed to slip away from their adoring fans, she slipped her hand into his and asked, "Well? What did you think?"

Bryan looked thoughtful for a moment, then answered. "Not bad. Maybe…I can learn to enjoy Beybattles after all…"

The kiss she gave him in response made the entire ordeal more than worth it.

 **Osaka, Japan**

The sharp staccato knock on the sliding door made Hina jump, and she clutched her knees more tightly against her chest from her position in the corner of her room.

"Miss Akiyama," a grandmotherly voice called gently, and Hina let out the breath she had been holding. It wasn't her father. "Your breakfast is here beside the door. Please try to eat something." When Hina didn't respond, the sound of retreating footsteps told her that she was alone again.

Hina didn't move towards the door. She wasn't sure if she had the ability to move at this point.

' _Hina… Mistress…'_ Arashi crooned to her along the threads of their mental and emotional bond. She hadn't responded to any of his calls, but that didn't stop him from trying. His aura wrapped around her protectively like an embrace, manifesting in the vague, translucent outline of an eagle's wings.

This was how Hina had spent the night after her father had so abruptly banished Spencer from the house and, as far she knew, from her life. She had retreated to her childhood bedroom, locked the door, and passed a miserable night huddled in the corner as she broke down into body-wracking sobs. Now her eyes were dry and itchy from shedding so many tears, and her muscles had stiffened into bundles of painful knots from staying in one position for so long. She hadn't felt so helpless, so devoid of choice in her life, since an intruder had jammed a needle into her neck on a school field trip and taken her from her hotel bed in the middle of the night.

' _HINA!'_ Arashi called desperately as he sensed her thoughts descending into a downward spiral of traumatic memories. The wings of his aura stirred, sending cooling breezes across her feverishly hot skin. _'Hina, please!'_ In her mind's eye, Arashi stiffened and turned his keen eyes to the side, as though suddenly detecting a presence. _'Seaborg! I can still detect Seaborg's presence!'_

Hina's eyes flashed open as she gasped in surprise. _'Arashi!'_ she exclaimed in her mind, not yet trusting her voice. _'Are you sure?'_

' _Completely,'_ Arashi replied instantly. _'He just reached out to tell me that Spencer is still here in Osaka. Your brother spoke to him, and they both want to help you.'_

Hina's eyes welled up again, but this time they were tears of relief. _'What do I need to do?'_

Before Arashi could answer, another, more insistent knock sounded at her door. "Hina," she cringed at her father's stern tone. "I am leaving for the office. I'll allow you the morning to come to terms with your emotions, but I expect you to attend your tutoring session this afternoon." Then he added, in a slightly softer tone, "I know you're not happy with me, but trust me when I say that I only have your best interests in mind. I'll see you for dinner." His footsteps gradually grew more distant until they vanished completely.

 _'Whew, sounds like he's gone,'_ Hina said to Arashi. _'What else did Seaborg tell you?'_

Hina followed Arashi's mental directions and snuck away from her house shortly after her father departed. The housekeeping staff had been maintaining a respectful distance from Hina's room after yesterday's fiasco, so it was all too easy to slip away unnoticed. She kept to the streets far from her father's business and eventually wound up on the other side of Osaka, in front of Tyson's grandpa's dojo.

To her surprise, Taro stood outside waiting for her.

"Elder Brother!" Hina exclaimed. "What are you…" She didn't get to finish her sentence, as Taro enveloped her in a hug.

"I'm sorry," he said, clutching her tighter. "I'm so sorry… I had no idea…"

"I know…" Hina replied, returning her brother's embrace. Even as a child, Taro had always looked out for her. When their father was overly strict, Taro had found a way to lighten the mood or take the blame when they got into childish mischief. When she had returned home after escaping the Abbey, Taro had understood better than anyone how much she needed space and the freedom to make her own choices, especially when it came to Beyblading. And now he also understood her need to make her own choices about who to love.

"Come on, I know you're not here to see me," Taro said, pulling away. "Tyson and the others stepped out for the afternoon to give you and Spencer time to talk. I'll cover for your tutor this afternoon."

Hina was momentarily speechless as she followed Taro into the dojo. So many people, including former rivals from the World Championships, wanted to help her. "Thank you…"

Whatever composure Hina had regained since leaving her house vanished immediately as she entered the main dojo and found Spencer waiting for her. "Hina…" He held his arms out to her, and she ran into them and burst into tears. Spencer clutched her gently against his chest, his entire body bowing towards her almost instinctively. "It's okay. I'm here," he whispered in her ear. He spared a moment of concentration to nod gratefully to Taro, who smiled and left quietly, closing the door to give them some privacy.

Spencer eased his way down to the floor without letting go of Hina and gathered her onto his lap while she wept. She was far too pale, which further accented the dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. Spencer ran his hand along her back, and judging from the feel of her spine, she hadn't eaten much, if anything, since yesterday. He felt Seaborg's concern and discontent through their mental link. Hina naturally maintained a slender figure, so it wouldn't take long for her to feel the effects of skipping a couple of meals.

But none of those concerns mattered now. She clung to him desperately, soaking the front of his jacket with her tears, and Spencer would not have moved her for anything.

Finally, Hina's sobs quieted, and her voice came out a little hoarse and she said, "I'm sorry… I'm just…so glad you're here… That you didn't leave…" She opened her eyes and looked down to find Spencer offering her a bottle of water. She choked out a grateful laugh and chugged half of the bottle, suddenly remembering how thirsty she was.

"I could never do that," Spencer replied, hugging her tighter. She was so small compared to him that she fit easily on his lap and felt perfect in his arms. "I love you, and I'm not going anywhere until we sort this out."

Hina's eyes widened as she registered the sincerity of his words, and she leaned up to press her lips against his. Spencer returned the kiss with interest, keeping his touch gentle but leaving no doubt in her mind how much he desired her. Hina moaned softly and wrapped her arms around his neck. The kiss eventually came to an end, and Hina leaned against Spencer's chest, smiling genuinely for the first time since yesterday. "So, what are we going to do?" Hina asked, her mind refocusing on the issue at hand.

"First, we're going to get you a decent meal," Spencer replied firmly.

"Huh?" Then Hina's stomach growled loudly, and she blushed and hid her face in embarrassment.

Spencer chuckled. "Like I said, food first. We won't figure out anything on an empty stomach."

"Do guys always think with their stomachs?" Hina joked.

"Very funny," Spencer deadpanned, poking her teasingly in the stomach. "After that, we'll put our heads together and come up with a plan that won't involve your dad putting me in a box and shipping me back to Russia."

"Okay," Hina nodded, feeling more determined than ever. "Let's do it."

 **Moscow, Russia**

The second day with Eri's family went much like the first, and the Russian blader felt a mild headache constantly brewing behind her eyes that threatened to explode into a full-blown migraine if she had to pose for one more family photo.

Eri and Tala had arrived at her house that morning to yet another domestic warzone scene of omelets and traditional Russian breakfast foods, along with freshly cleaned bathrooms, neatly folded laundry, and an over-eager Lenora announcing that they would be showing the kids the sights of Moscow. They toured the Red Square, Saint Basil's Cathedral, and Lenin's Mausoleum, with plenty of stops for souvenir shopping and mandatory family photos to commemorate the experience.

Tala, for his part, tolerated the day's proceedings with good humor and tried not to rock the boat with Eri and her family. He stepped in when needed to explain the significance of a particular monument or piece of architecture, especially when it looked like Eri had reached the limits of her patience. Tala also played the role of the classic Russian gentleman by holding doors, assisting the women across patches of ice, and helping their unwieldy group navigate queues and avoid price gougers.

Eri's two younger siblings had mixed reactions to the day's outing. Anton bounced along as an endless bundle of energy and looked for every chance to ask Eri about Beyblading. The kid was enamored with the sport and had watched the World Championships religiously. Once he found out that his big sister was captain of one of the world's top Beyblading teams, he idolized her even more. He pelted her with questions about the Beyblade he kept in his pocket and asked when she could teach him some new moves. Eri tried to keep her responses noncommittal without hurting his feelings.

Myka, on the other hand, looked completely bored with her current situation, except when she wasn't blatantly staring at Tala. _'Don't look now, but I think Myka is trying to flutter her eyelashes at you again,'_ Eri remarked mentally as Lenora led the way to the next museum and prattled on about something history-related. Pyrix and Wolborg had established a mental line of communication at Eri's request, and her private words with Tala had been the only things keeping her sane thus far.

Tala replied back with the mental equivalent of an eye roll and reached over to pat Eri's hand where it rested in the crook of his elbow. _'Save me from hormonal teenage crushes…'_ He had been all too aware of Myka's antics, from "accidentally" slipping on ice next to him so he would catch her arm to repeatedly complaining about the cold while eyeing his jacket. He didn't fall for it, of course, and his jacket remained affixed to his body. _'You'd think her phone would run out of battery eventually.'_

' _I'm pretty sure that bulky phone case has a built-in battery pack.'_ Eri paused, then asked, _'Were we that annoying at her age?'_

Tala fixed her with a deadpan look. _'I went through a cyborg phase at the Abbey.'_

' _Oh. Right…'_ Tala chuckled and leaned over to quickly kiss her forehead as they walked. _'What was that for?'_

' _Myka looked like she was about to ask me to take a selfie.'_

' _Ah.'_

The afternoon progressed in much the same manner until the family was once again crowded around the dinner table at a restaurant a couple of blocks from Eri's house. "So, what do you want to do this evening, Eri?" Lenora asked.

To Eri's surprise, Ivan spoke up after spending most of the day in relative silence. "Actually, dear, I was thinking Eri might like some downtime." He turned from his wife to regard her and Tala. "How about a drink after this, just the three of us?"

"Ivan, seriously? A bar?" Lenora protested.

"Why not?" Ivan responded. "Anton is about to fall asleep on his plate," he gestured to the boy, who was fighting to keep his eyes open, "and I'm sure you and Myka can entertain yourselves for a while." Myka looked like she wanted to protest, but Ivan cut her off. "No, Myka, you're not old enough to go to the bars yet." She huffed and turned back to her phone screen.

"I don't have a problem with it," Tala said. "What about you, Eri?"

Compared to the day's activities, going bar-hopping with her dad was as close to solitude as she was going to get. She forced a smile and replied, "Sure. Sounds fun."

Eri felt some of the tension melt from her shoulders as soon as she left the restaurant and stepped out into the brisk evening, welcoming the chilly air into her lungs. The wind had gotten even colder as twilight deepened, and her mind immediately felt clearer as the cold air bit into her chest. Lenora made Ivan promise to text her when they were heading back and then departed with Myka and Anton.

Once they were safely on their way, Ivan noted Eri's sigh and chuckled a little. "I think you took after me a little more than your mother." She glanced upward to meet his small, lopsided smile as Tala slung an arm across her shoulders. "Lenora has a heart of gold and the best intentions, but even I admit that she can overdo it at times."

Eri glanced down guiltily. "It's not her fault. I'm just…uh…not used to…"

"You're not used to someone doing the 'Mom thing,'" Ivan finished for her. "I'm not going to make excuses for her, but she's never stopping feeling guilty since giving you up. I think she's thrown herself into mothering Myka and Anton as a way of trying to make up for it. And of course, she's trying to make amends now with you."

"I don't think my teammates or I would cope much better," Tala added quietly, giving Eri's shoulders a little squeeze. "We grew up in much the same situation."

"No, I suppose not," Ivan agreed. "Of course, I feel the same as Lenora, but I didn't think you wanted two parents constantly hovering."

Eri smiled a little. "You guessed right. And I have to admit, a drink sounds nice."

The conversation topics eased into casual small talk as they re-entered the heart of downtown, and soon they had to focus on weaving amongst the bustling throngs of locals and tourists who were out to enjoy the Moscow nightlife. Being a Friday night, the streets were more crowded than usual with couples, groups of girl friends, rowdy co-eds, and clusters of folks smoking in the alleys. Tala tightened his arm slightly around Eri's shoulders to keep her next to him. His gaze drifted among the various clusters of people and noted a group of young men in their late twenties cat-calling a group of women no older than Eri. The women clustered together fearfully and scurried past, much to the men's raucous jeers. One of their gazes lingered briefly over Eri, then quickly slid past once he noticed Tala's arm draped protectively around her. Tala reached mentally inward towards Wolborg, summoning the ice wolf's power like a cloak. His body temperature dropped a couple of degrees, and his eye color shifted to gold to match Wolborg. Anyone who made eye contact, intentionally or otherwise, quickly looked away, unable to meet the alpha challenge in his gaze.

Eventually Ivan, Eri, and Tala chose a small bar that wasn't packed to the walls with people, and the noisy din from outside lessened considerably as they entered the dimly lit building. Black leather seating, solid wood furniture, and ornate light fixtures dominated the stylish décor, and most of the patrons sat in booths lining the walls or at high-top stools along the well-used, finely polished wooden bar. Two bartenders managed the constant stream of drink orders with brisk efficiency, and one waved their group over to an empty booth near the back of the seating area. After a few minutes of browsing the menu, a waitress took their drink orders.

Eri, Ivan, and Tala carried on pleasant conversation for an hour or so, pausing to sip their drinks or partake of one of the appetizers Ivan had ordered so the alcohol wouldn't go straight to their heads. Eventually the slow bite of the vodka eased Eri's nerves, and she began to relax and genuinely enjoy getting to know her dad. As he predicted, Eri took after him more than her mother. Ivan initially came off as stoic and reserved, but gentle warmth lay just beneath the surface. She could see how he counterbalanced Lenora's overprotective, mothering tendencies.

' _Eri, look by the door.'_

Eri followed Pyrix's prompt and instantly stiffened, her hands clenching into fists around her drink glass. A young blonde-haired woman who looked about Eri's age stood by the door, her gaze darting from side to side nervously, as though scanning for people she recognized. Her winter gear bore brand-name logos in English and looked new, and a sweatshirt printed with the name of an American college peeked out from underneath the partially opened zipper of her winter coat.

"Eri, what's wrong?" Tala asked, his senses immediately going on alert. He followed her gaze to the lost-looking college girl and quickly caught on to the situation. Men were already starting to take notice, turning in their seats to openly stare at her or whisper to their buddies while casting sidelong conspiratorial glances.

To her credit, the girl tried to play it cool by sidling towards a less crowded space near the bar, as though to order a drink, but some of the men started calling over to her in broken English.

"Hey, honey, you lost?"

"Come join us!"

"We'll keep you company until your friends arrive."

Their expressions clearly did not match the harmless meaning of the words.

"Let me out." Eri practically shoved Tala out of the booth so she could exit. She took a deep breath, steeled herself, and plastered the biggest, friendliest smile on her face possible as she pushed through the crowd to the girl. "Oh my gosh, where have you been?!" Eri exclaimed in enthusiastic, barely accented English. She hugged the startled girl like an old friend, gave her the traditional Russian greeting of three kisses on alternating cheeks, and paused after the third kiss to whisper in her ear, "Come sit with my dad and boyfriend until your group arrives."

The girl got it. She grinned from ear to ear, playing along and greeting Eri like any of her college friends, and the two practically bounced, arm-in-arm, back to the booth where Ivan and Tala waited.

Meanwhile, the two men shared a significant look. "I take it she's done this before," Ivan observed.

"Several times," Tala confirmed. "She's always been protective of her teammates, and she won't hesitate to help young women who clearly stand out as tourists and find themselves in sketchy situations." He scanned the crowd again, ready to step in if needed, but the on-looking men had already lost interest.

At that point, Eri and her newfound friend had moved back to their booth, and both men slid out so the girls could sit in the more protected positions against the wall, Eri beside Tala and the American woman beside Ivan. Eri gave her a reassuring smile. "You okay?"

"Yes, thank you so much," the girl replied with a slight Southern twang to her English, clearly still shaken. "My roommate and I were supposed to meet two other friends here, but she started feeling sick and told me to go on without her while she stayed at the hotel. I guess I arrived too early." She abruptly stuck out her hand. "Oh! I'm sorry! My name is Rachel. Nice to meet you."

Eri took the offered hand and shook it. "I'm Eri, and this is my boyfriend Tala and my dad Ivan." She gave Rachel a thorough onceover and read the name on her sweatshirt. "William and Mary College, huh?" At her puzzled nod, Eri continued, "You should be aware that Moscow isn't exactly the safest place for American college girls alone after dark. Always travel with someone, and avoid wearing logos and college sweatshirts that mark you as a tourist. The shopkeepers love jacking up the prices for tourists, and you've just seen how the bar scene works."

Rachel had the good grace to look properly chastised. "Oh, you're right. Our professor said as much during orientation back at school. I didn't actually mean to wear this shirt, but it was so much colder than I thought, and I needed the extra layer."

"No need to beat yourself up about it," Tala added, his English carrying a slightly heavier accent. "Try checking out the department stores on the west side of the town tomorrow for some better gear. They won't price-gouge you too badly."

"And in the meantime, we're happy to wait with you until your friends arrive," Ivan assured her in a paternal tone, this time in heavily accented English. He called out to a passing waitress in Russian and handed Rachel the drink menu on the table. "Here, order whatever you like. My treat."

Rachel looked like she was on the verge of tears out of sheer relief, but she held it together, ordered a cocktail, and passed the next half hour in idle conversation. Before long, two other girls arrived who quickly noticed Rachel, enveloped her in hugs, and thanked Eri profusely before leaving the bar, this time with their friend securely in tow.

"Well, I've done my good deed for the day," Eri remarked, now feeling thoroughly relaxed after her third drink of the evening. "I think I'm ready to call it a night."

Tala chuckled. "Am I going to have to carry you home, lightweight?"

Eri mock-punched his arm. "Don't make me kick your ass."

"Heh, I'd like to see you try."

As Eri and Tala bantered on the way back home, Ivan watched them together and sank deeper into thought. Eri couldn't have been any older than the college girl she helped, but she acted like an adult who had already seen too much of the worst of humanity. She and Tala had both been forced to grow up far too quickly, and now they watched the world through jaded, overly cautious eyes. Ivan was glad that his daughter had someone so intently focused on her safety, but he regretted more than ever that she had never experienced a normal childhood.

'I already failed you once, Eri,' Ivan thought seriously. 'I hope your mother and I don't fail you again…'

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Whew, that finally wraps up chapter 5! I kept going back and forth on whether I wanted to split this chapter into two parts, but in the end, I decided to keep it as one long chapter. Future chapters won't be nearly this long, as the plots for each couple will start to diverge. This story has evolved considerably from when I originally outlined the plot, so I'm going to take some time and revise my outline to make sure I keep posting updates in a timely manner.

Please read and review, and thank you for your continued support!


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